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THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


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THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


REVELATIONS CONCERNING 
PnP ihk AND ART 
OF 


J:-M-W-TURNER 


WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE DISCOVERY OF HIS HIDDEN 
SIGNATURES AND DATES 


AND 


THE PUBLICATION OF THE ONLY KNOWN 
ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT OF ANY 
OF HIS SKETCHING TOURS 


BY 
JOHN ANDERSON, JR. 





NEW YORK 
PRIVATELY PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR 
MCMXXVI 


4 








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COPYRIGHT, 1926, BY JOHN ANDERSON, JR. : 
FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA . 
PRINTED BY THE SCRIBNER PRESS ees " 


NEW YORK, U.S.A. 


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Trade Selling Agen 
NEW YORK: THE BAKER AND TAYLOR COMPAD 
LONDON: SUCKLING AND COMPANY, I3 GARRICK 


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TO 
MY WIFE 


MARY HELEN ANDERSON 


WHO LOYALLY AND CHEERFULLY SHARED 
WITH ME THE SACRIFICES ESSENTIAL 
TO THE FULFILMENT OF MY TASK 


CONTENTS 


pete 

PAGE 
FOREWORD I 
THE MAN TURNER 3 
THE ART OF TURNER 5 
A DISCOVERY AND ITS AFTERMATH 18 
TURNER’S DRAWINGS AND SKETCHES 21 
ITINERARY OF TURNER’S TRAVELS 25 
FACTS AND DEDUCTIONS oh 
TURNER’S HANDWRITING 39 
TURNER’S HIDDEN SIGNATURES 41 
TURNER’S HIDDEN DATES 45 
INTERESTING ITEMS IN THE, COLLECTION 47 
LONDON VIEWS 49 
BY WAY OF COMMENT eg 
TURNER'S SKETCHING TOUR OF 1839 121 


INDEX OF NAMES 153 





ILLUSTRATIONS 


Spee 


VENICE, 1834 


J. M. W. TURNER, R. A. 

CONTINENTAL CATHEDRAL, 1838 

DEAD GAME, 1840 

CHURCH OF ST. JOHN LATERAN, ROME, I819 
INTERIOR OF WELSH COTTAGE, 1849 

SCENE ON LAGO DI ORTA, ITALY, 1834 

LA COUPEE, SARK, CHANNEL ISLANDS, 1843 

SCENE IN CONSTANTINOPLE, 1844 

THE DUCHESS OF ARGYLL, 1824 

TURNER’S PORTRAIT SKETCH OF HIS FATHER, 1823 
ROUGH SEA ON THE CORNISH COAST, 1828 
SILHOUETTE PORTRAIT OF LADY, 1842 

CUT-OUT PORTRAIT OF MR. PICKWICK, 1842 

DUKE AND DUCHESS OF ST. ALBANS, 1829 

COCHEM ON THE MOSELLE, 1838 

LITTLEHAM, NEAR EXMOUTH, DEVON, 1828 
TEMPLE OF ZEUS OLYMPIUS, WITH ACROPOLIS, ATHENS, 1844 
DUCK SHOOTING, 1842 

SALTRAM HOUSE, DEVON, 1828 

TURKISH FIGURES ON LEAF OF SKETCH BOOK, 1844 
THE KNIFE GRINDER, 1829 


COTTAGE IN WALES, 1849 


Frontispiece 
FACING PAGE 


3 
II 
13 
21 
25 
29 
29 
35 
35 
39 
41 
45 
45 
47 
55 
57 


59 
61 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


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FACING PAGE 


RIVER AND MOUNTAIN SCENERY, IRELAND, 1826 67 
YORK CATHEDRAL, 1843 69 
LAKE OF THUN, SWITZERLAND, 1842 ait 
CRUCIS VALLE ABBEY, WALES, 1849 73 
HEAD OF THE CHRIST, 1843 Ts 
TURNER WITH THE SIMCOE FAMILY AT WOLFORD LODGE, DEVON, 1843 ie: 
CHURCH ON MOUNTAINSIDE, AT FUNCHAL, MADEIRA, 1846 vi 
COPY OF REMBRANDT'S “MILL,” 1827 79 
AN EPITOME OF TURNER’S ART, 1829 79 
A VARIETY OF SMALL BOATS ON LEAF OF SKETCH-BOOK, 1802 81 
CHARCOAL DRAWING, LANDSCAPE COMPOSITION, 1832 183 
PENCIL DRAWING, CONTINENTAL SCENE, 1834 83 
WELSH DOMESTICITY, 1828 85 
VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE AT TIVERTON, DEVON, 1808 87 
AN EXAMPLE OF “DISTANCE,” AS DRAWN BY TURNER, 1829 89 
MOSS ROSE, 1823 gI 
BRITISH MUSEUM, 1843 93 
SCENE FROM SHAKESPEARE 'S “ROMEO AND JULIET,” 1824 95 
TURNER AT WORK ON FOREST SCENERY, 1841 97 
LITHOGRAPH BY TURNER, 1824 99 
COPY OF PORTRAIT OF JOHN LOCKE, 1828 IOI 
PEEL CASTLE, ISLE OF MAN, 1848 103 
AN EXAMPLE OF TURNER’S “VAPOUROUS DEPOSIT,” 1843 1O$ 
DRAWING MADE FROM A LIFE MODEL, 1804 107 
CALM, 1843 _ 10g 
A GROUP OF TREES, 1829 I} 
ARCHITECTURAL SKETCH, MADE IN ITALY, 1843 113 
AN EXAMPLE OF TURNER’S “SPOILED DRAWINGS,” 1828 iis 


AN ““UNFINISHED” DRAWING, 1832 1e7 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


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A FIELD OFFICER, 1842 

COPY OF PORTRAIT OF ANDREA DEL SARTO, 1842 
TURNER'S PORTRAIT SKETCH OF HIMSELF, 1824 
EXAMPLE OF TURNER’S MAP-MAKING; TOUR OF 1839 
PAGE OF MANUSCRIPT RECORD; TOUR OF 1839 

PAGE OF EXPENSE ACCOUNT; TOUR OF 1839 
MARTIGNY, 1839 

MARKET-PLACE, NORWICH, ENGLAND, 1837 
TURKISH PORTER CARRYING TURNER'S LUGGAGE, 1844 
HIGH STREET, SALISBURY, ENGLAND, 1828 

BRIDGE OF TOURS, 1838 

BLIND BEGGAR WITH GUIDE, 1821 

GRAND OPERA HOUSE, PARIS, 1833 

THE SNUFF TAKER, 1843 _ 

COPY OF SELF-PORTRAIT OF HANS HOLBEIN, 1842 
CONTINENTAL SCENE, 1834 

SHIP ASHORE ON NORTHERN ENGLISH COAST, 1841 


TURNER'S LAST KNOWN DRAWING 
BRADING, ISLE OF WIGHT, OCTOBER, 1851 


The illustration on title-page 
ITALIAN FLUTE-PLAYER 


is by Turner and bears the date of 1843. 


NIPRIMRASUAINASRPSNAINAN APNE PNAS 


FACING PAGE 
11g 


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122 


123 
127 
129 
131 
133 
135 
135 
137 
139 
141 
141 
141 
143 
145 


149 


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THE UNKNOWN TURNER 





FOREWORD 


eee 


“The author has something to say which he perceives to be true and useful, 
or helpfully beautiful. So far as he knows, no one has yet said it; so far as he 
knows, no one else can say it. 

He is bound ¢o say it; clearly and melodiously, if he may; clearly, at all 


” 
events. JOHN RUSKIN. 


“Every one who takes Turner for his subject and brings to the matter either 
sympathetic insight or critical experience, or both, or even eyes to see, may 
thereby help to a wider understanding of his genius.” 


FRANCES TYRRELL-GILL. 


Why this new work on Turner, when the ground is supposed to have been 
exhaustively covered by so many able writers, including John Ruskin, Sir 
Walter Armstrong, Cosmo Monkhouse, P. G. Hamerton, Sir Edward T. 
Cook, C. Lewis Hind, A. J. Finberg, Sir Theodore A. Cook, Sir Charles 
Holmes, Walter Thornbury, Sir Frederick Wedmore, C. F. Bell, W. L. 
Wyllie, R. A., and C. A. Swinburne? 

The answer will be found in the words above quoted from Ruskin and 


Mrs. Gill. 


As a result of long study, painstaking research, and a fortunate discovery, 
I have acquired knowledge of certain important facts regarding the life and 
work of Turner, hitherto unknown and unrecorded. 

They are matters of fact and not merely suppositions. Having stood the 
severest tests which I have been able to apply, they are now deemed worthy 
of submission to the public. 

Because of the rather startling revelations involved, some readers may 
cherish doubts and misgivings. This would occasion no surprise, for I re- 
member the old adage, “Truth seldom goes without a scratched face.” 

If I were myself amazed at the discoveries, I can well understand how 
others may be similarly affected at the disclosures. 

It is not the object of this writing to provoke controversy, though it is, 
of course, impossible to present such an array of new evidence, much of it 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 
in distinct variance with the writings of others, without the possibility of a 
“come-back”’ from some one or more of those whose statements and deduc- 
tions are now for the first time questioned. 

I fully realise that if the discoveries I have been privileged to make had 
been theirs, instead of mine, they would have been incorporated in their own 
writings years ago, and no excuse would have existed for my appearance on 
the scene. 

No attempt will be made to “explain” Turner’s art, for two reasons: 
(1) most writers on Turner have already explained it—to their own complete 
satisfaction; (2) I am not competent for the task, even were it explainable— 
which it is not. 

My main purpose is to reveal to others in the clearest possible way such 
facts as I have been enabled to gather during many years of study and re- 
search, and which will, I hope, not only throw new light on many of the per- 
plexing problems which have confronted all serious students of the master’s 
life and work, but also lead to an even greater appreciation of the marvellous 
art of the one concerning whom more has been written than any other modern 
artist, and yet concerning whom so much still is unknown and needs to be 
revealed. | 

The present work does not pretend to give more than a mere indication 
of the results of my labour. It may justly claim to have furnished clews 
which if faithfully and carefully followed will prove helpful to future biog- 
raphers and students of Turner. 

The material which has largely served as a basis for this publication is 
still available for examination and study. 

It will be noted that throughout this work I have continually referred to 
“my collection” and have used other phrases of similar import. It is proper 
to state that the bulk of my personal collection of Turner’s work has been 
disposed of by me to my valued friend, Charles T. Lark, of New York, and 
his associates, who plan to make the same available to selected American 
art museums, from time to time, thus preserving it measurably intact as a 
collection. This will make known for the first time to the American people 
the work of that supreme master of art in his best mediums of expression. 


The illustrations in this volume are, with two exceptions, made from 
drawings and sketches in my own collection. They are all by Turner, and 
not one of them has been previously reproduced, to my knowledge. 

They have not been chosen solely on account of their beauty or quality, 
but because they also offer appropriate and fitting illustrations to the text 
and display the remarkable variety of subject-matter covered by Turner in 
his work. 








THE MAN TURNER 


tees 


¢,22)|HE genius and primacy of Joseph Mallord William Turner in 
*| the realm of art is universally conceded. 

Many of the numerous biographers of his career and exposi- 
tors of his art bear well-known names, and their painstaking 
work, on such material as was then available for use, presented 
from so many different angles, is worthy of generous commendation. 

Briefly, it may be well to recall to mind the essential facts regarding the 
great artist, which these writers have unearthed and presented to us. 

Turner is generally believed to have been born in London on April 23, 
1775, though he himself claimed 1773 as the year of his birth. 

His father, born in Devonshire, kept a barber-shop in London. His 
mother was an invalid during much of her life. Her maiden name was 
Mary Ann Marshall. 

The boy had little, but probably sufficient, schooling. The fundamental 
elements of art and architecture were imparted to him by competent 
teachers. 

He made copies of sketches when only ten years old, and laboured con- 
tinuously for sixty-six years. He worked with remarkable rapidity, and his 
output was larger in quantity than that of any other artist known. 

He lived in or near London all his life, and travelled extensively in his 
own and other countries. He would go away for months at a time, and not 
even his most intimate friends were informed of his departure, whereabouts, 
doings, or return. He wrote few letters, and is supposed to have kept no 
written record of his many journeys—but more of this anon. 

He was unmarried, eccentric, and inclined to “‘put his worse foot for- 
ward.” He possessed an abnormal secretiveness and loved to mystify 
people. His good deeds and characteristics largely outweighed his bad ones. 

Sir Walter Armstrong’s striking delineation of Turner is pertinent, and 
may be quoted: “‘He was impulsive, tender-hearted as a girl, extremely fond 
of children, sensitive to a degree, proud as a prince in exile, never able to get 
intimate with any man, full of the passions of virility, as strong as a cart- 
horse, and as industrious.” 

The words of J. E. Hodgson, R. A., regarding Turner’s characteristics 





THE UNKNOWN TURNER 
may also be quoted: “Turner was evidently a self-contained, taciturn, and 
even inarticulate man. His industry was prodigious, his mind extraordi- 
narily active, and controlled by intense earnestness of purpose and loftiness 
of aim, while it was also kept in motion by the pressure of a thousand horse- 
power of will.” 

He made use of every medium known to art, and probably painted and 
drew a greater variety of subjects, in a greater variety of ways, than any 
other artist who can be named. 

He died, under an assumed name, on December 19, 1851, in a house 
bordering on the Thames, at Chelsea, and shortly after was interred with 
honours, in St. Paul’s Cathedral beside the body of Sir Joshua Reynolds. 


THE ART OF TURNER 


Spee 


PRESENT herewith a selection made from the writings of 
authors of approved reputation and ability, regarding the 
various phases of Turner’s art, and trust that, in this concen- 
trated form, its importance as a representative interpretation 
of the work of the master will be recognised. 

Such striking tributes, by more than forty writers—many of national, 
and a few of even international eminence in their profession—could have 
been evoked only by an artist of compelling genius. 





Sir Frederich Wedmore 


“All things which had concerned men, great or simple, living or past, 
Turner took into his art with the inclusiveness of Shakespeare. 

“His genius made his knowledge his servant and helper. It supplied and 
fed him; it never mastered him: so that he did not make transcripts—he 
recorded impressions, and these were infinite as facts. 

“He knew precisely how to abstract, how to select. Of this or that scene 
of beauty or grandeur he gave not all its detail, but such as might help you 
to realise it; of this or that scene of beauty or grandeur, his glorified im- 
pression; of this or that scene of natural desolation or human poverty— 
still, his vivid impression; of each particular scene in nature, in history, in 
contemporary life, he conveyed his personal sense, emphasising and reiter- 
ating, much as Dickens did, for this British public, the facts that he had 
known and received.” 


Charles Alfred Swinburne 


“Tt was the same with Turner’s delineation of angry seas and storms. 

“All previous representations of such seas and the mighty ocean were 
mere conventional types, mere indications. 

“The mighty upheavals of the earth and of the waters were left for this 
master to depict for the first time, and his representations of them stand 
alone in the wide world of art.” 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


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Dutton Cook 


“Tt would be difficult to conceive any one endowed with a keener sensi- 
bility to colour, or with a more devotional love for its glories; it would be 
equally hard to estimate the enhancement of the worth of English art 
effected by the colour of Turner. 

“Tt should be remembered that he appeared at a time when coldness of 
tone was almost a fashion in painting. The chilliness of the shadows of Law- 
rence and his followers was remarkable. 

“Turner raised the chord of colour a whole octave, illustrating one art 
by the terms of another.” 


J. E. Hodgson, Rs A. 


“Wherever Turner went, his pencil, with a deftness and certainty bred 
of constant. practice, was tracing the forms of nature, eliminating, as by 
instinct, what was accidental and unimportant, whilst it recorded all that 
was characteristic and essential. 

“What distinguishes him from every other painter is that, in all his con- 
stant intercourse with nature, he never for one single instant forgot art. 
Everything he did, to the hastiest pencil scratch, underwent transformation 
in the doing; it was disintegrated and recombined with an organic whole. 

“Tn the National Gallery there are, let us say, many hundreds of sketches 
by him, and there is not one which does not suggest the elements of a com- 
pleted picture. But unfortunately in his completed pictures there is not 
always the charm suggested by his sketches.” 


“It was not necessary for Ruskin in order to enhance the fame of Tur- 
ner to detract from the true merits of others; but it seems to us established 
beyond contention, on the evidence of his life-work, that Turner’s imagina- 
tion, in depth, variety, and scope, far exceeded that of any other landscape- 
painter.” 

“He combined in his practice the excellencies of many schools, but 
founded none. He was too many-sided, his imagination was too discursive, 
and the range of his achievement too vast, to admit of followers; he stands 
alone, as such men always do, a solitary beacon, a Pharos shining through 
the darkness of history, and we can discern none like him.” 


THE ART (OFS TURNER 


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Philip Gilbert Hamerton 


“There is one point, and one only, in which Turner really did excel the 
artists of all time, and that is in his appreciation of mystery in nature, and 
his superlatively exquisite rendering of it.” 


e ° e ° e . e ° ° 


“Of all artists who ever lived, I think it is Turner who treated the 
vignette most exquisitely.” 


C.. Lewis Hind 


“Turner closed the doors of the past and opened the gates of the future. 

“He is the real parent of the modern movement in landscape-painting— 
the great experimenter and pioneer. 

“Hardly a landscape has been painted since his day, from the sparkle of 
Monet to the tone of Whistler, but hints, and more, may be found in the 
colossal and wide-reaching work of this man—this magician, Turner.” 


Cosmo Monkhouse 


““Amongst Turner’s more obvious claims to the first place among land- 
scape-artists are his power of rendering atmospherical effects and the 
structure and growth of things. He not only knew how a tree looked, but 
he showed how it grew. 

“Others may have drawn foliage with more habitual fidelity, but none 
ever drew trunks and branches with such knowledge of their inner life. 

“Others have drawn the appearance of clouds, but Turner knew how 
they formed. 

“Others have drawn rocks, but he could give their structure, consist- 
ency, and quality of surface, with a few deft lines and a wash. 

“Others could hide things in a mist, but Turner could reveal things 
through mist. 

“No landscape-painter has equalled Turner in range, in imagination, or 
sublimity. 

“His technique in water-colours was supreme.” 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


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Sir Charles Holmes 


“In studying Turner’s work in chronological sequence, we are frequently 
surprised to find pictures that seem either precocious or belated. 

“Comparatively late in life he will return under some momentary im- 
pulse to his early manner, while the broad and glowing products of his old 
age are occasionally anticipated while the artist is still in the prime of life; 
and with apparently no thought of the radical change in aim and method 
which such pioneer experiments foreshadowed.” 


e e e ° ° . . ° 


“Turner’s water-colour sketches made for his own pleasure seldom or 
never exhibit those debauches of vermilion, gamboge, and emerald green 
which disturb his later works in oil.” 


John Ruskin 


“None before Turner had lifted the veil from the face of nature; the 
majesty of the hills and forests had received no interpretation; and the 
clouds passed unrecorded from the face of the heaven which they adorned 
and the earth to which they ministered.” 


Josiah Gilbert 


“Turner took possession of the world of atmosphere: all the skyey vault 
to its uttermost recesses, its openings into the heart of heaven, its infinite 
gradations both of light and colour, the tender veilings of cloud and their 
wind-borne masses—all the region of the air and the glory of it—was his, 
as none had ever possessed it before; distance with its unsearchableness, its 
innumerable hints and faint suggestions—distance with its ineffable charm— 
was rendered by him as by none other. 

“All the witchery of water, in stream or river, lake or ocean, was at his 
command. 

“He knew how to avail himself of the utmost grace of form to be found 
in hill, mountain, and tree; and with unparalleled skill could work all these 
materials into one complex but exquisitely perfect scene. 

“There are, we may admit, many and grievous inequalities, deficiencies, 
faults, in Turner’s work; but he has grasped the master-key, and whoso- 
ever would penetrate by the way of pictorial art into the shrine of nature’s 
symbolism, must take that key and enter by his door.” 


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Sir Walter Armstrong 


“Turner feels, and makes us feel, the solidity beneath, on which he lays 
the successive vestures provided by the ages, with a delicacy and tenderness 
approached by no one else. 

“Let your fancy cut a section through one of his painted hillsides, and 
your mind’s eye will see the strata laid bare as they would be in a real trench 
dug with a spade. 

“Your imagination will not be arrested at the surface of the canvas. It 
will be encouraged to follow those pines to their roots in the sandy detritus, 
those porticoes to their foundations on the live rock, those lakes and pools 
down to the beds they have been coaxing out for themselves ever since the 
earth’s crust shook into its present form. 

“Turner brought more knowledge of nature, and more dexterity of 
hand to the service of art than any landscape-painter before his time or 
since. 


Robert de la Sizxeranne 


“Turner’s first manner: Nature as the masters saw it; second manner: 
Nature as he saw it himself; third manner: Nature as he wished to see it. 

“These three stages are normal and necessary, but it is the second— 
that of direct observation—which enriches the patrimony of art; this it is 
which gave to Turner all his strength, and gave him, too, the elements of 
his originality. 

“This originality is the chief characteristic of his works, and at the first 
glance the world and nature and life appear before us revived.” 


Sir Theodore A. Cook 


“Faultless in colour according to their aim, Turner’s drawings are based 
on an intense study of nature, which realises that beauty and character 
are higher requirements in art than even truth, and which results in the 
triumphant exposition of a light and shade which (for the first time in water- 
colour) are as true when you are close to the picture as when you are ata 
distance from it. 

“They show, as nothing else in Turner’s art can show, that he under- 
stood, in all their range, the possibilities of noble emotion which exist in 
landscape, and the channels through which such emotion can be transferred 
to all who see his pictures.” 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


Pisa is Tin Vid til Vil tool bel Tel el tel el a AAALAC el ete TAA A eal el Cee ee a eee eA eel ee Cel ed el el Ld 


Walter Shaw Sparrow 


“Remark too the wondrous diversity of Turner’s sympathy for all kinds 
of landscapes, and do not lose sight of that constant habit of mind which 
caused him to sweeten and complete his work with human joys, sorrows, 
sports, little comedies, and brisk occupations. 

“It is rare that we come upon a single picture of any importance in 
which there is not a companionable human interest.” 


James Dafforne 


“Turner saw this world as no one else could see it who had not the same 
power of perception and analysis; where most eyes would perceive in a 
tract of meadow-land an unvaried mass of green, he would see it broken up 
and diversified by a thousand tints and tones of colour. 

“It was by his combination of colours, and by the skilful arrangement 
of natural and picturesque objects, that he produced such magnificent forms 
and such magical effects.” 


“Turner never painted a picture without some other purpose than that 
of creating a beautiful work of art; and every figure and accessory in it 
may be assumed to have a meaning beyond its positive value as an adjunct 
to the composition.” 


William G. Rawlinson 


“Turner’s drawings, in their individuality, always stand out amongst 
those of other artists, however great. 

“The chief cause of this is hard to define, but I should say that it is 
because they almost invariably possess a certain quality of imaginativeness, 
of what is termed ‘poetry.’ 

““No matter how simple was his subject, he instinctively saw it from its 

most beautiful, its most romantic side. 

“Tf it had little or no beauty or romance of its own, he would still throw 
an indefinable charm round it by some gleam of light, some veiling mist, 
some far-away distance, some alluring sense of mystery, of infinity.” 


Io 








CONTINENTAL CATHEDRAL, 1838 


inches 


ight 10 


hes by he 


Original, width 7 inc 


THE ART OF TURNER 


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W.L. Wyllie, R. A. 


“What, then, do we admire in Turner’s work? And why do we place 
him in the very front of all as a painter? 

“I think the real secret of his power lies in his knowledge of what is 
essential to the making of pure art. He knew exactly what to do so that 
his work should appeal to the mind. He suggested the beauty of nature 
and its infinity, without trying to make an actual copy. 

“Never has the profusion and never-ending variety of this wonderful 
world of ours been brought to our senses as perfectly as in the immeasurable 
stretches of hill and dale, winding river, and pale, far-distant ocean of Tur- 
ner’s dreamy visions.” 


Richard Redgrave 


“Tn oil, Turner had the body of ancient art before him, and great masters 
of execution in almost every varied style. 

“But in water-colour, what was there in the beginning to guide him— 
what had he to adopt—what to improve upon? The art all but began with 
him; weak and feeble, in its very childhood, hardly a resource had been 
invented by which to express the wonderful qualities which nature presents 
to the artist’s eye, and which Turner, more especially, was gifted to perceive. 

“Nature revealed to him a flood of atmospheric light, a world of in- 
finitely tender gradations, so minute as to be almost unappreciable by 
other men and such as it seemed hopeless to realise by the practice which 
then prevailed; he had therefore to invent his own methods.” 


Prof. William Knight 


“His artistic memory was marvellous, both as to form and colour, and 
it would sometimes seem that he could summon up from the ‘vasty deep’ 
as many things as Shakespeare’s gigantic memory could, and utilise them 
nearly as well; but—and here we see the hand of the master—he made wise 
choice from that storehouse of memory; and, as in the sister art of literary 
composition, it was by what he left out, and in that to which he gave no 
expression, that we see the hand of the master.” 


II 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


RAPAPRAPMAP SANA Mal Na Mul ef UPR SPR UPR DPR SPR SPO PMASERANE/NA LANE / RUPE NUE MENA PRSPNAERAPRAERAMRAIRANEINES NA NUPNUL AUER UPN AFRSFRABN ABR IBA SAS SASSOPSAA NUL NA/ NUP NUPNUERGERGPRGENAENABRAERA BRANES SU S™ 


W. M. Rossetti 


“‘T have no occasion to enlarge upon the character of Turner’s art and 
the quality of his pictorial genius. They transcend in scope, range of sym- 
pathy, human feeling, beauty, majesty, truth, depth, infinity—in every 
mental and one may broadly say almost every pictorial and executive 
quality—all previous and succeeding landscape-painters and landscape art 
put together. 

“Tt is not only a great thing achieved, but a real phenomenon—a reveal- 
ing of higher capacity in man, in a particular field of effort, than was yet 
known to be within the limits of nature.” 


Harry Townend 


“An estimate of Turner in the light of modern painting may be sum- 
marised by calling attention to the qualities in which he is still unsurpassed; 
the intellectual force of his design; the emotional suggestion of his colour; 
the fertility of his invention; and his pictorial power of combining them 
into unity. 

“Tn addition, a study of his whole production will reveal the principles 
which still remain the unshakable foundations of the art of painting.” 


Robert Chignell 


‘A drawing of a Swiss scene may be noticed as an example of the mar- 
vellous delicacy and minuteness of Turner’s work. Measuring only three 
inches by two and a half, every feature of the country is represented. Less 
than two inches serve to carry the eye over fifty miles of space. 

“To describe the delicate minuteness, combined with breadth of effect of 
the drawing would be impossible. Unless the working out of the details is 
actually seen and examined, no one would credit that human sight and touch 
were fine enough to accomplish such results. All Turner’s vignettes excite 
the same feeling of wonder and admiration.” 


e e ° ° e e e 


“Those who not unworthily have represented the great British School 
of landscape-painting, from his day to this, have stood before his canvases, 
wrapped in admiration and wonder, and one and all have expressed their 
thought in the happy phrase used by John Gibson Lockhart in his reply to 
Sir Walter Scott, ‘The World has only ove Turner.’ ”’ 


12 





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orgrt S‘awvo avaa 





THE ART OF TURNER 


SEES a Mec NEES SLONEINISSASS ISRUSNPXWERTAGE WE SUENSENZPNGINGPCUSUANAPSAASNPNN/YA/NGF Vu Pu? Uf WZPRGPNGFASEA AEGAN ESUZSQ/AN/NNASGP n/ uf Nu Ou? NOP AAPAGP LAMA IPA IAG AA /OAPMAPNAFAAP uP AUT NaP orc 


Edmund Oller 


“Turner was emphatically a poet. He perceived the mystery of things— 
the beauty that is intangible—the power that is divine. 

“This is the very essence of poetry, and Turner had the glorious privi- 
lege in no common measure. 

“If he were treating an ordinary scene on the river or the seashore, he 
contrived by some subtlety of atmosphere, some wonder of cloud and moon- 
light, some pathos of declining day or golden apparition of the dawn, to lift 
the whole out of the region of transitory into that of immortal truth. 

“He saw with the inner as well as the outer eye; and the world was 
transfigured by a genius which beheld it in so strange and exalting a light.” 


Sir Edward T. Cook 


“Turner not only saw nature in its truth and beauty, but he saw it in 
relation and subjection to the human soul. This is what makes his works so 
picturesque, the essence of which is a sublimity not inherent in the thing 
depicted, but caused by something external to it, especially by the expression 
of suffering, pathos, or decay. 

“Tt is the depth and breadth of his sympathy with the spirit of the things 
he depicted that make Turner’s landscapes so great. 

“The fact remains incontestable that the works of Turner are among 
the brightest and the most distinctive glories of British art.” 


Ernest Chesneau 


“He has attempted and mastered every enchanting effect, intricacy, and 
radiance of light, although at times he has been sorely baffled. 

“From the pale gleams of twilight and gray dawn breaking in the east 
over the dark earth to the dazzling rays of the setting sun, firing the rest- 
less waves, it is one unbroken series of marvels: Venetian views, English 
coasts, cathedrals, castles, forests, mountains, peaceful lakes, stormy seas, 
ships in distress, naval battles, fleets in full sail, the seashore at low tide, 
interiors, reception-halls, anatomical and ornithological studies, animals, 
architecture—both genuine and fanciful—plants, insects, and flowers—it is 
a perfect fairyland, a world in which transplendent reality and ardent fancy 
are blended and interwoven into a harmonious whole, teeming with life and 
movement. Turner was an artist of sublime genius.” 


T$ 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


WAN OP AANA NLA A Na Na P Na E Na PARANA RSPR AIRS PRSMRANAANAS NAS NaS NAL NaS NE NaF NUE Na PNB PRP RAR APR SMRSMASMASMRSSAPNAL NAS Naf uP Nal NaF uP NUE NUP Ra PRS PRAPRAARDRASRRANRANAP SEAN NAS NUE Na RP Nal RP Rul Pa 


Alexander J. Finberg 


“Parts of Turner’s work are like Shakespeare’s, incorrect, capricious, 
and wanton. Like Shakespeare his imagination was crowded with a tumul- 
tuous confusion of images. 

“He had all Shakespeare’s reckless and unquestioning confidence in 
himself and in his own powers, so that his work often seems vehement and 
negligent. 

“But if he had Shakespeare’s faults he had also much of Shakespeare’s 
greatness. 

“We have only to change the word poet to painter to apply Dryden’s 
encomium of Shakespeare to him: ‘When he describes anything, you more 
than see it, you feel it too. . . He is always great when some great occasion 
is presented to him.’” 


Walter Emsley 


“If to give intense esthetic pleasure to humanity, to educate and up- 
lift, to create a keener perception of beauty, to call attention to the ravish- 
ing and hitherto unseen aspects of natural landscape—the ephemeral, the 
mysterious, and the accidental—to set these beautiful things down beauti- 
fully in the language of the painter, for all men and forever—if this is not a 
poet’s work, I do not know the meaning of poetry.” 


J. E. Phythian 


“One often asks oneself if any one but Turner has ever painted the 
mountains. 

“Let the question stand, not to be answered in any absolute way in 
his favour, but as a witness to the strength of the impression his mountain 
work makes upon us. 

“The majesty of the mountains, their effect of giant power in repose, 
their solemn grandeur when darkened by the clouds, their glorious beauty 
when the sun illumines them, how at one time they seem to threaten us with 
a crushing weight that will annihilate our very being, and at another they 
draw our spirits up towards God and heaven—surely all this has never been 
expressed as fully by any one as by Turner.” 


e ° e . . . . e e ; e 


“Turner could express in inches a sense of space and grandeur that art- 
ists of no mean capacity could not give with feet of canvas to work upon.” 


14 


ati es ARIPO TU RN E R 


SANNA CINAINNEN GEN GEN GENGENGENAPNSING®NATNISNISNINGIN ENGIN ALN UANUFNEN GENER GPNABNDBNSBRASUAMEANOANN/ MANA NUL NFL UP SERIE UPNIBRABRABNINUINGINAINA/ NAP MEA NL Val uF uF NGPAGEN SENZA SEA SINGS 


William Bell Scott 


“If a hundred pictures by Corot were collected together they would be 
found to be all according to one motif, but a hundred by Turner are a hun- 
dred efforts of genius, a hundred different combinations of art and of 
thought. 

“Consider the range of his practice, extending to all countries, and to 
all the kingdoms of nature, sea and sky, mountain and moor, city and waste. 

“Another criterion of greatness, that of productiveness, bears out Tur- 
ner’s supremacy.” 


W.M. Thackeray 


“It is not given to all to understand; but at times we have glimpses of 
comprehension, and in looking at such pictures as Turner’s ‘Fighting Té- 
méraire’ for instance, we admire (and can scarce find words adequate to 
express our wonder) the stupendous skill and genius of this astonishing 
master. 

“Turner gleans sublimity from the whole continent, and when satiated 
with that, rests in more quiet scenes of our shores, glens, and mountains. 

“There are works of his which seem to us to give him the very foremost 
place of the landscape-artists—epic works, so to speak—the greatest in aim, 
the greatest in art, the greatest in truth to nature.” 


A. P. Oppé 


“From the middle period onward there is scarcely a trick or device 
known to water-colour men before and after, which Turner did not employ. 
They are fully summarised by Mr. C. F. Bell. 

“Perhaps when they are analysed not one of his devices was absolutely 
new—conceivably some improvement in the manufacture of paper may at 
an early date have given him more consistently a satisfactory ground on 
which to work, as later an accident gave Cox his opportunity—but in their 
totality they formed an instrument as fresh and surprising as the visual 
comprehension which summoned them into being. 

“Chiefly they consisted in a development of the touching stroke which 
is as inevitable and ancient a method in water-colour drawing as the flat 
wash with which it is contrasted, and by means of these in different colours 
and on differently toned grounds Turner was able to represent the multi- 
tude of effects which spring from the coloured quality of light.” 


15 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


ATT a AAA IATIALIAL IACI lal eae a AAA AIA IAA iil RTA ALTALIALIATIAL IA LT il Vil iol il tial TAL ATA ATIATIAL IAT ICV LY il el Tiel al aL AT ALATA IAT al 


W. Roberts 


“Many a drawing by Turner may disconcert us by its accretions and 
its multiplicity, dissipating the strong impress of a single emotion, though 
every part of the whole may fill us with admiration for that magical hand, 
always at the service of an astounding knowledge; for Turner’s stupendous 
talent often obstructs and misleads his genius. 

“Yet, say what his detractors will, you cannot generalise about his 
faults. Name any one, and it will be easy to find not one but many a draw- 
ing to refute it.” 


J. Comyns Carr 


“Tf Turner’s fame as a painter in oils should suffer any diminution, it 
will be because as a colourist he never achieved in that medium the same 
unassailable position that belongs to him as a painter in water-colour. 

“Nothing, surely, can surpass the tenderness and refinement of his 
vision or the subtlety of his manipulative skill in the interpretation of the 
varying moods of Nature which the best of his water-colour drawings 
display. 

“Even the imposing personality of Turner would be shorn of half its 
glory—certainly in so far as his claims as a colourist are concerned—were it 
not for the unapproachable beauty of his water-colour drawings.” 


John Burnet 


“In the composition of his skies, Turner is more original than any other 
painter, and makes a greater use of the firmament to ennoble and embellish 
the landscape than has been adopted before. If the scene is bald, we per- 
ceive his skies rich with a multiplicity of beautiful forms; if, on the other 
hand, the piece contains many objects, he uses the sky as a background for 
repose. 

“Those lines in the landscape which are of an objectionable shape, he 
loses in the darks of his clouds, or breaks down their harshness by extension 
or repetition of the several forms; those lines characteristic of the place, or 
possessing an agreeable form, he brings into notice by opposition of light.” 


16 


eA Role OF fivtiR N ER 


DaArAriariarl WATT el aaa ALIA ATIALAT AVY Y Ll al Paleo P RIAL 


Letter (1877) addressed to Sir Coutts Lindsay after he had founded the 
Grosvenor Gallery, London (translated): 


“A group of French painters, united by the same esthetic tendencies, 
struggling for ten years against convention and routine to bring back art 
to the scrupulously exact observation of nature; applying themselves with 
passion to the rendering of reality of form in movement as well as to the 
fugitive phenomena of light, cannot forget that they have been preceded in 
this path by a great master of the English school, the illustrious Turner.” 


JOHN LEWIS BROWN. PISSARO. 

BOUDIN. RENOIR. 

DEGAS. SISLEY. 

CLAUDE MONET. MAD ’LLE CASSATT. 


MADAME MORISOT MONET. 


17 


A DISCOVERY 
AND ITS AFTERMATH 


plete 


#02] BEGAN to gather drawings thirty-five years ago, and later 

E*| made the important discovery that one of them bore Turner’s 

e.| signature and the date, in a place and manner that clearly 

=akt| indicated his intention to have it remain hidden. It being 

™! one of a group of about twenty drawings, I made a careful 

examination of them all, and found the signatures and dates on every one, 
and in hidden places. 

This led me to make an intensive study of Turner’s work and methods 
in connection with his drawings and sketches, and incidentally of his hand- 
writing, as I found he had written the titles, as well as his signatures, on all 
of the drawings in the group referred to. 

Then I examined every item in my own collection which seemed, even 
remotely, to answer to his work, and found many; and from them obtained 
valuable clews to others. 

Having satisfied myself that I was in possession of a key that might 
unlock the hidden treasures of Turner’s art, I determined to make a thor- 
ough and systematic search in Great Britain for his drawings and sketches, 
having quickly and conclusively demonstrated to my own mind the fact 
that the great collection in the National Gallery comprised only about one- 
half of the number which Turner must have made. 

This search has occupied my time for a quarter of a century, and the 
results have been surprisingly great. 

I secured a large number of’ Turner’s own sketch-books and albums, 
together with many groups of drawings made by him for special patrons, 
which they had placed in bound volumes. Besides these, I secured a very 
large number of drawings and sketches, separate and in groups. A detailed 
record of them has been made. 

My success in obtaining such a remarkable subject-variety of Turner’s 
work is largely due to clews obtained from examinations of his personal 
albums, which came into my possession. 

Through these mediums I learned of his having painted and drawn an 





18 


A DISCOVERY AND ITS AFTERMATH 


DOLLS INENERNENERENE SANYAL SISA GANAAERSERSNSNDENSIOD NISSDINDINL SAA NGS APNG PRGPNGPNAPASASAADAAUANONN/ UPN /NAPAXf LAP \GPLGLAPAGHAATAAIA/NAINO/NA/NAPNuPNuPuPRsP Lae 


astonishing variety of subjects and objects, which were new revelations of 
Turner’s marvellous and all-embracing art. I found that the same brain and 
hand which evolved and executed “The F ighting Téméraire” was also re- 
sponsible for a series of comic sketches, a street representation of “Punch 
and Judy,” and a design for wall-paper! 

I cannot too strongly emphasise the fact that no undue dependence has 
been placed by me upon the discovery that Turner had placed a hidden sig- 
nature and date on every drawing and sketch that he ever made. 

I have found them on thousands—not only on those in my own collec- 
tion but also on examples in the National Gallery, Tate Gallery, British 
Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, Oxford and Cambridge Universi- 
ties, Manchester Whitworth Institute, and others, besides many in private 
possession. 

The drawings as such have always received primary consideration; the 
signature and date secondary. My judgment of the drawings as being, or 
not being, Turner’s work, has in all cases determined my decision whether I 
should look for the signatures and dates as confirmatory of it. 

The most painstaking care has been taken in the ascertainment of facts 
and the weighing of evidence. No scientific investigator in his laboratory 
has more severely tested his own deductions in his desire for the attainment 
of exactness and the avoidance of error than I in my efforts definitely to 
determine whether a given drawing or sketch was, or was not, the work of 
Turner. 

I have been my own severest critic, and no drawing nor sketch has 
passed into my Turner collection, bearing my mark of approval, without 
having undergone as searching a test as it was possible to make. An occa- 
sional error may have been made, and may be discovered—the finder will 
not more heartily rejoice over the discovery than myself—but I believe the 
number, if any, will prove exceedingly small. 

All genuine lovers of Turner’s art will rejoice at any attempt, however 
imperfect, by any individual, to shed additional light on the complex prob- 
lems of his life and genius. From such sources intelligent and unbiassed 
criticism may be expected, and will be heartily welcomed. 

Unhappily, members of an entirely different tribe continue to exist, and 
they may be depended on to pick flaws in the work of another—largely 
because it 7s the work of another. 

It must be borne in mind that the statements of fact made in this vol- 
ume are not dependent on one man’s opinion or another’s. Fortunately 
there are tangible exhibits in the case. 

The drawings and sketches are available for examination. The hidden 
signatures and dates are there. I have found thousands of them, and can 
name many persons who have under my guidance, found them also. 


19 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


PTIVIIVIIVLIVAIVAITAITATTATATIATIATIATIAN IAT id tin tid Pal at Th al Cal AIA TAT ACATIA TA iat Ca ala aL RUA ALAR a a ih ied ib aaa ie iia 


A complete and comprehensive biography of Turner cannot now be 
written, if the vital facts revealed in this work are ignored. 


The basis of my collection has been threefold: 


1. Turner’s work, as I have learned to recognise it. 
2. Turner’s handwriting, varying with periods and occasions. 


3. Turner’s hidden signatures and dates. 
When either his work alone, or both his work and his handwriting have 


unmistakably appeared on a drawing or sketch, I have then—and only then 
—made search for the signature, in confirmation of my judgment. 


20 


























Ph he Mh. 
CEE BIT 








CHIMING TOF SS), OlUN Scag BRAN OMB, 181g 


inches 


1, width 14 inches by height g 1 


igina 


Or 


TURNER’S 


DRAWINGS AND SKETCHES 
RECORDED AND UNRECORDED 


See 


22821 Y the terms of his will Turner left his finished pictures to the 
B*| National Gallery, but made no mention whatever of the large 
Fal collection of drawings and sketches—over 19,000 in number 
| —which were found in his house in Queen Anne Street. 

ee On legal grounds his will was refused probate, and, as 
the result of what was virtually a compromise, his estate, totalling £140,000, 
was divided among his relatives, the National Gallery, and the Royal 
Academy. The drawings and sketches were allotted to the National Gallery. 

It seems clear that, with certain few exceptions, Turner was always ready 
to sell his pictures to anybody who would purchase them—and did so. 

The exceptions probably included: paintings which he had previously 
determined to present to the nation; groups of drawings (like the French 
Rivers series) which he believed should be kept together, and which he had 
previously stipulated should be returned to him by the engravers; those of 
his sketch-books, of a personal character, containing his verses, accounts, and 
memoranda; and certain drawings probably made for his own satisfaction 
and enjoyment. 

With these exceptions, it seems probable that the huge collection of 
drawings and sketches in the National Gallery comprises the unsold portion 
of his work, which had steadily accumulated on his hands since his boyhood 
days. 

Regarding these drawings and sketches, and their condition when found, 
Mr. Ruskin has written as follows: 

“In seventeen boxes in the lower room of the National Gallery I found 
upward of 19,000 pieces of paper, drawn upon by Turner in one way or 
another—many on both sides. Some with four, five, or six subjects on each 
side (the pencil-point digging spiritedly through from the foregrounds of the 
front into the tender pieces of sky on the back). Some in chalk, which the 
touch of the finger would sweep away. The best book of studies for his great 
shipwrecks contained about a quarter of a pound of chalk debris, black and 
white, broken off the crayons with which Turner had drawn furiously on 
both sides of the leaves; every leaf, with peculiar foresight and considera- 





21 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 

tion of difficulties to be met by future mounters, containing half of one sub- 
ject on the front of it, and half of another on the back. Others in ink, 
rotted into holes. Others (some splendid-coloured drawings among them) 
long eaten away by damp and mildew and falling into dust at the edges, in 
various states of fragile decay. Others worm-eaten; some mouse-eaten; 
many torn half-way through; numbers doubled (quadrupled, I should say), 
into four, being Turner’s favourite mode of packing for travelling; nearly all 
rudely flattened out from the bundles in which Turner had finally rolled 
them up and squeezed them into the drawers in Queen Anne Street. Dust of 
thirty years’ accumulation, black, dense, and sooty, lay in the rents of the 
crushed and crumpled edges of these flattened bundles, looking like a jagged 
black frame, and producing altogether unexpected effects in brilliant portions 
of skies, whence an accidental or experimental finger-mark of the first 
bundle-unfolder had swept it away. 

“About half, or rather more, of the entire number, consisted of pencil- 
sketches in flat, oblong pocketbooks, dropping to pieces at the back, tearing 
laterally whenever opened, and every drawing rubbing itself into the one 
opposite. These first I paged with my own hand, then unbound, and laid 
every leaf separately on a clean sheet of perfectly smooth writing-paper, so 
that it might receive no further injury. Then, inclosing the contents and 
boards of each book (usually ninety-two leaves, more or less, drawn on both 
sides, with two sketches on the boards at the beginning and end) in a 
separate sealed packet, I returned it to its tin box. The loose sketches needed 
more trouble. The dust had first to be got off them (from the chalk ones it 
could only be blown off), then they had to be variously flattened; the torn 
ones to be laid down, the loveliest guarded so as to prevent all future friction, 
and four hundred of the most characteristic framed and glazed and cabi- 
nets constructed for them, which would admit of their free use by the public.” 

Mr. Ruskin divided them into three classes, according to quality: in the 
first were the Rivers of France (45), Rogers’s Poems (57), Rivers and Har- 
bours of England (23), and a few others, 135 in all. There were 1757 studies 
in the second class, and in the third were the drawings in black and white, 
some of them drawn from nature and others compositions for pictures. 
The third class evidently comprised nine-tenths of the entire collection. 


22 


TURNER'S DRAWINGS AND SKETCHES 


MRANNANGINAA NUH NGA NWENGENGERGPAAPAAPRATARAANALNO/ NA NAL NAL NUANUPNGFRGPAYPRAPNUBRDMRAMAI NOD NGA NAA NUP NUS NAP NAENUEASFRMFAZARZPAAMAANAAANANA/NG/ AANA Nil Sul NuPNUPRUFAGPASAASMASBAZIA AAAS NGS Nel Mud Nut ut 


Through the medium of Mr. Finberg’s inventory of the drawings and 
sketches in the National Gallery, we have a detailed record of what is there. 
Let us now endeavour to find out what is mot there, but somewhere else. 

. They may be divided into four sections: 


. Those in public museums and galleries. 
. Those in known private collections. 

. Those in the hands of dealers. 

. Those in unknown private collections. 


BW WH -» 


Section Ove includes the collections in the British Museum, Victoria 
and Albert Museum, Oxford and Cambridge Universities, Whitworth In- 
stitute, Manchester, and many others. I can give the names of a number of 
well-known art-galleries having Turner’s drawings on exhibition, but which 
are attributed to other artists. 


Section Two is, doubtless, well covered in Mr. Edward Dillon’s list, 
incorporated in Sir Walter Armstrong’s “Turner.” The list comprises 1222 
water-colours (including museum collections), but none in other mediums. 


Section THreE. Not a large number, but not negligible. 

I could name a dealer who has a considerable number of Turner’s draw- 
ings in his stock but is unaware of the fact. I passed them by because of 
the lack of proper proportion between their quality and importance and the 
prices asked for them. Had he known them to be by Turner—oh, my! 

Many drawings by him, but wrongly attributed to other artists, have 
been sold by the dealers. 


SecTIon Four. In my opinion, the number of Turner’s unrecorded 
drawings and sketches in private collections approximates seventeen thou- 
sand. My own collection contains nearly fifteen thousand examples, and I 
know of many drawings by Turner in other private collections, which still 
remain unrecorded. 


There is abundant evidence of Turner’s having had a large number of 
private patrons during the major portion of his career. Many of their names 
are given by Turner himself in his sketch-books, under the caption of 
“Ordered Drawings’; many others are to be found on the drawings them- 
selves. Turner made groups, or series, of drawings for certain of his patrons, 
and I have evidence of it in the collections of drawings which have been 


23 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 
obtained from various descendants of those original purchasers. Many of 
these groups were bound up in volumes by their owners, and now repose in 
my own and doubtless other collections. 

Turner also made up many albums and scrap-books of drawings and 
sketches, some of them most intimate in the nature of their contents, and 
they were, in time, sold by him to certain favoured patrons. 

It may be claimed that this is merely a matter of surmise. 

All I can say, with any degree of positiveness, is: I have the books; the 
work is Turner’s; his signature appears on the covers of many of the volumes; 
and every sketch and drawing in the books contain both Turner’s hidden 
signature and the date. 


2.4 





soyout 6 yysiay Aq sayour 41 YIpIM “eulsugO 


64g1 ‘ANVLLOO HSTAM AO UOIUALNI 





ITINERARY 
OF 
TURNER’S TRAVELS 


tele 


Q2/HE advantage of a detailed chronological itinerary of Tur- 
“| ner’s travels, covering his entire art career, has been apparent 
Re| since his life was first published over sixty years ago. Some 
attempts have been made at it, but with little success. Mr. 

aeeee! Finberg made distinct advances on the problem in his “‘In- 
ventory,” but he suffered a great handicap in the necessity for giving only 
approximate dates, which are, in many cases, wide of the mark; and was 
also necessarily limited to the very incomplete records of Turner’s travels 
in the National Gallery, which formed the sole foundation for his work. I 
am bold enough to try my hand at it, offering it only as a basis for later ad- 
ditions and corrections. If I can be proved wrong in any statement, I shall 
be grateful to the one who will offer the correction, for I desire accuracy 
above all things. 

No place nor date has been included in this Itinerary on mere assump- 
tion. In every case there has been, and is, tangible evidence available in 
the drawings and sketches, which bear, either in Turner’s open titles and 
dates or in his hidden signatures and dates, reasonable and compelling 
grounds for every statement made. 





1785 
1786 
1787 
1788 
1789 Oxfordshire. 

1790 ©6Gloucestershire. 

1791 Sussex. Cambridgeshire. Worcestershire. Wiltshire. Wales. 
1792 Gloucestershire. Worcestershire. Herefordshire. Wales. 

1793 Kent. Derbyshire. Staffordshire. Cheshire. Wales. Hereford- 


shire. Worcestershire. Gloucestershire. 


Made copies only. 


25 


PADTAr Aly ATL Ar 


1794 


1795 
1796 
1797 
1798 
1799 
1800 
1801 
1802 
1803 


1804 
1805 
1806 
1807 
1808 


1809 
1810 


I81I 
1812 
1813 
1814 
1815 
1816 


1817 


1818 


1819 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


PUP APRAPNAPR ARR ARN AMY, PAINS AN INGEN GENTEN GEN AEN SEN AINAAN AEN ASAIN AN ANU PN PNP IUFOUP NUN YPN EPR SAN ABNARRSARSINAIA ANA P NUP N AUP RUP RUN VER SER SIR PASMN SIRS IA SRST A NASW NWP Nuh 


Cambridgeshire. Berkshire. Oxfordshire. Nottinghamshire. North- 
amptonshire. English Lakes. Derbyshire. Warwickshire. Lincoln- 
shire. Yorkshire. Lancashire. Staffordshire. Shropshire. Cheshire. 
Wales. 

English Lakes. 

English Lakes. 

English Lakes. Scotland. Yorkshire. Devonshire. 

Ireland. Wales. Kent. 

Wiltshire. 

Isle of Wight. Shropshire. Warwickshire. 

Kent. Warwickshire. Scotland. English Lakes. 

Oxfordshire. Kent. France. Germany. Switzerland. Italy. 
Kent. Sussex. Surrey. Hampshire. Isle of Wight. Oxfordshire. 
Wiltshire. Scotland. Wales. 


Essex. Devonshire. Staffordshire. 


Hertfordshire. Yorkshire. 

Isle of Wight. ; 

Yorkshire. Somerset. Devonshire. Wales. Gloucestershire. Isle 
of Wight. Hampshire. Wiltshire. Herefordshire. 

France. Greece. Corsica. Isle of Wight. Ireland. Wales. 
Berkshire. Buckinghamshire. Derbyshire. Warwickshire. York- 
shire. Cumberland. Cornwall. Ireland. Scotland. Isle of Man. 
Kent. Hampshire. Dorset. Wiltshire. Devonshire. Somerset. 
Cornwall. Wales. 

Ireland. Kent. Yorkshire. Isle of Wight. 

Devonshire. Cornwall. Derbyshire. 

Kent. Sussex. Suffolk. Norfolk. Hampshire. Isle of Wight. Dor- 
set. Devonshire. Herefordshire. Wales. 

Bedfordshire. Suffolk. Norfolk. Yorkshire. Lancashire. Cum- 
berland. Isle of Wight. Dorset. Devonshire. Herefordshire. Wales. 
Wales. Worcestershire. Wiltshire. Dorset. Hampshire. York- 
shire. Lancashire. English Lakes. Leicestershire. 

Berkshire. Hampshire. Isle of Wight. Wiltshire. Dorset. 
Devonshire. Lancashire. English Lakes. Ireland. Derbyshire. 
Durham. Warwickshire. Yorkshire. Kent. Belgium. Hol- 
land. Germany. 

Buckinghamshire. Devonshire. Staffordshire. English Lakes. 
Scotland. Yorkshire. Warwickshire. Switzerland. Italy. Ger- 
many. Tyrol. Belgium. Holland. Kent. 

Buckinghamshire. Sussex. Dorset. Kent. English Lakes. Scot- 
land. France. Italy. 


26 


PUPPNAININN ANY 


1820 
1821 


1822 
1823 
1824 


1825 
1826 


1827 


1828 


1829 


1830 
1831 
1832 
1833 
1834 


1835 
1836 


1837 


1838 


ITINERARY OF TURNER'S TRAVELS 


AIALIALIALIALIALLA NOPR APR APNARNAPRAIA SIN ANA ANY TADADIAT ALIA Ar ALA NAPNPPN AN PIRPEVA NAN LADTANTADIATIATIAVIAL UAT EL ELLY ltl Tal Tal LAA AACA ALATA Ati Pid il Taal y ANIA 


Italy. Berkshire. Hertfordshire. Wiltshire. Shropshire. 
Wales. Oxfordshire. Gloucestershire. Worcestershire. Hereford- 
shire. Buckinghamshire. Sussex. France. Belgium. Holland. 
Switzerland. Germany. Bohemia. Sweden. Denmark. Poland. 
Russia. 

Yorkshire. Italy. Sicily. Germany. 

Kent. Sussex. Gloucestershire. Wales. Devonshire. Yorkshire. 
Surrey. Berkshire. Oxfordshire. Warwickshire. Shropshire. 
Staffordshire. Wales. Gloucestershire. English Lakes. Scotland. 
Northumberland. Lancashire. Yorkshire. Derbyshire. Leicester- 
shire. Nottinghamshire. Rutlandshire. Norfolk. Cambridgeshire. 
Kent. Essex. 

Gloucestershire. Wales. Sussex. Holland. France. Germany. 
Kent. Herefordshire. Wales. Ireland. English Lakes. France. 
Belgium. Germany. 

Hertfordshire. Kent. Sussex. Isle of Wight. Hampshire. Glouces- 
tershire. Wales. Shropshire. Cornwall. Yorkshire. 

Kent. Sussex. Surrey. Berkshire. Oxfordshire. Hampshire. Isle 
of Wight. Dorset. Wiltshire. Devonshire. Cornwall. Somerset. 
Cheshire. Gloucestershire. Worcestershire. Herefordshire. Wales. 
Isle of Man. Germany. Switzerland. France. Italy. 

Italy. Sicily. Switzerland. Turkey in Asia. Malta. Holland. 
Oxfordshire. Wiltshire. Wales. Somerset. Devonshire. Scotland. 
Isle of Skye. Isle of Mull. Middlesex. Buckinghamshire. 

Kent. Surrey. Sussex. Berkshire. Hampshire. Cornwall. Wales. 
Hampshire. Isle of Wight. Devonshire. Surrey. Kent. Cam- 
bridgeshire. Bedfordshire. English Lakes. Lancashire. Scotland. 
Italy. 

Sussex. Kent. Essex. Yorkshire. Warwickshire. Somerset. Wales. 
Isle of Wight. 

Surrey. Isle of Wight. Hampshire. Cornwall. Wiltshire. English 
Lakes. France. Switzerland. Belgium. 

France. Italy. Sicily. Switzerland. Austria. Germany. Holland. 
Belgium. Cornwall. 

Isle of Wight. Sussex. Gloucestershire. Norfolk. Germany. 
Germany. Switzerland. France. Italy. Egypt. Turkey in Asia. 
Cambridgeshire. Gloucestershire. Kent. 

Italy. France. Suffolk. Warwickshire. Yorkshire. Northumber- 
land. Kent. Dorset. Devonshire. Somerset. Isle of Wight. 
Hampshire. Sussex. Essex. 

Surrey. Isle of Wight. Wiltshire. Wales. Sussex. Kent. France. 
Germany. Saxony. Switzerland. Italy. Belgium. 


27 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


ee aL AA AAA ALL La ea eh aA AIA AL la a aaa AAT TAT Arar alia viata Pl Pil Pl Yel Pal IATA ATTAM AT IAT iA ul Yd Vid al al 


1839 


1840 


1841 


1842 


1843 


1844 


1845 


1846 


1847 


1848 


1849 


1850 


1851 


Italy. Switzerland. Germany. Belgium. France. Isle of Wight. 
Sussex. Hampshire. Devonshire. Herefordshire. Gloucestershire. 
English Lakes. Warwickshire. Lincolnshire. 

Kent. Sussex. Hampshire. Oxfordshire. Dorset. Devonshire. 
Gloucestershire. Herefordshire. Wales. Italy. France. Austria. 
Germany. Minorca. Spain. 

Italy. Hertfordshire. Kent. Sussex. Hampshire. Isle of Wight. 
Wales. Lancashire. Scotland. Yorkshire. Lincolnshire. Suffolk. 
Cambridgeshire. 

Essex. Yorkshire. Oxfordshire. Hampshire. Sussex. France. 
Spain. Portugal. Italy. Switzerland. Germany. Belgium. 
Channel Islands. Hampshire. Isle of Wight. Berkshire. Bucking- 
hamshire. Surrey. Sussex. Yorkshire. English Lakes. Wales. 
Gloucestershire. Worcestershire. Somerset. Devonshire. Wilt- 
shire. Dorset. France. Switzerland. Germany. Italy. Sicily. 
Dalmatia. 

Switzerland. France. Italy. Sicily. Greece. Albania. Turkey in 
Asia. Turkey in Europe. Corsica. Persia. Palestine. Isle of 
Wight. Dorset. Gloucestershire. Worcestershire. Wales. Somerset. 
Kent. 

Kent. Sussex. Hampshire. Isle of Wight. Channel Islands. Ox- 
fordshire. English Lakes. Scotland. Ireland. Belgium. France. 
Germany. Switzerland. 

Yorkshire. English Lakes. Scotland. Durham. Sussex. Surrey. 
Hampshire. Madeira. Canary Islands. Gibraltar. Algeria. 
Italy. Switzerland. Germany. Belgium. Sussex. Berkshire. Scot- 
land. Somerset. 

Kent. Surrey. Hertfordshire. Oxfordshire. Hampshire. Isle of 
Wight. Devonshire. Wales. Worcestershire. Lancashire. Isle of 
Man. English Lakes. Scotland. Isle of Skye. Northumberland. 
Yorkshire. Derbyshire. Norfolk. Essex. France. Switzerland. 
Italy. 

Italy. Switzerland. France. Kent. Buckinghamshire. Oxford- 
shire. Hampshire. Isle of Wight. Dorset. Devonshire. Glouces- 
tershire. Worcestershire. Wales. English Lakes. 

Devonshire. Wales. Gloucestershire. Derbyshire. Lincolnshire. 
Surrey. Channel Islands. Germany. Switzerland. Italy. 
Surrey. Devonshire. Dorset. Isle of Wight. 


28 








SCENE ON LAGO DI ORTA, ITALY, 1534 
Original, width to inches by height 6 inches 





LA COUPEE, SARK, CHANNEL ISLANDS, 1843 
Original, width 12 inches by height 8 inches 


A CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF TURNER’S VISITS 
TO ENGLISH COUNTIES AND OTHER 
PARTS OF GREAT BRITAIN 


Bedfordshire 1815 Cheshire 1793 Devonshire 1828 
1831 1794. 1829 
Berkshire 1794 1828 1831 
1810. =—O- Cornwall 1810 1837 
1817 1811 1839 
1818 1813 1840 
1820 1827 1843 
1824 1828 1848 
1828 1830 1849 
1830 1833 1850 
1843 1834. 1851 
1847 Derbyshire 1793 Dorset 1811 
Buckinghamshire 1810 1794 1014 
1818 1810 2eE5 
8 1816 
1819 Iol3 9 
1821 1817 ae 
182 
ee 18 : 1828 
1843 4 8 
1850 1637 
1849 ; 1840 
Cambridgeshire I79I Devonshire en 1843 
1794 x 1844 
1808 
1824 1849 
I8II 
1831 reye 1851 
1836 1814 Durham 1817 
1841 1815 1846 
Channel Islands 1843 1817. English Lakes 1794 
1845 1818 1795 
1850 1823 1796 


29 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


AAA AAALAC ALA Us uaa aaa AAA ALAA til ia al al bt la a TAT ATA AT Aa TIA Tid ul Vid el Val el aA AAA Chak Ula aL 


English Lakes 1797 Hampshire 1803 Treland 1817 
1801 1808 1826 
1810 I8II 1845 
1815 1814 Isle of Man _—1810 
1816 1816 1828 
1817 1817 1848 
aa bees Isle of Mull 1829 
1819 1828 
1824 1830 Isle of Skye 1829 
1826 1831 1848 
1831 1833 Isle of Wight 1800 
1833 1837 1803 
1839 1839 1807 
1843 1840 1808 
1845 1841 1809 
1848 1842 1812 
1849 1843 1814 

Essex 1804 1845) 1815 
1824 1846 1817 
1832 1848 1827 
1837 1849 1828 
1842 Herefordshire 1792 1831 
1848 1793 1832 

Gloucestershire 1790 1808 1833 
1792 1814 1835 
1793 815 137 
1808 1821 aS 
1821 1826 ig 
1823 1828 saa 
1824 1839 oa 

44 
1825 1840 1846 
: ee Hertfordshire 1806 1848 
1820 1849 

1835 
1836 1827 1851 
1839 1841 Kent 1793 
1840 1848 1798 
1843 Ireland 1798 1801 
1844 1809 1802 
1849 1810 1803 
1850 1812 I8iI 


30 


TURNER'S VislUSeromeENGLISH COUNTIES 


bah leh le CLT CATAL ANAT ATIATIAL IAL IAT LY il Tiel Yel} Ua Tal Alt TATIATIATLA ATIAT ALIA Id Vial Yl Y Leal AL TAL TALIALLAT AYA ATU Tbh Piel el Cl elt CATAL TAL LALLA Naf tur ATU hl lel Coal | PNPMNAN, AN ATALLALIAL A 


Kent 1812 Norfolk 1835 Shropshire 1824 
1814 1848 1827 
1817 Northampton 1794 Smimerser 1808 
1818 = Northumberland 1824 1811 
1819 1837 1828 
1823 1848 1829 
1824 Nee ReE ; 1832 
ren ottinghamshire 1794 
P 1824 1837 
1627 : 1843 
1828 Oxfordshire 1789 
1844 
1830 1794 1847 
1831 1802 : 
1832 1803 Staffordshire 1793 
1836 1821 1794 
1837 1824 baat 
1838 1828 ite 
1840 1829 1824 
1841 1840 Suffolk 1814 
1844 1842 1815 
1845 1845 1837 
1848 1848 1841 
1849 1849 Surrey 1803 
Lancashire 1794 Rutlandshire 1824 1824. 
I8Is 1828 
ae Scotland nie 1450 
181 1831 
7 180 
182 3 1833 
“ 1810 
1831 1838 
1841 1818 1843 
1848 be : 1846 
: a 2 
Leicestershire 1816 - g 1848 
1824 1629 1850 
PE relachi 1831 1851 
I 
iIncoinshire ie 1841 Sussex 1791 
1639 1845 1803 
1841 1846 1814 
1850 1847 1819 
Middlesex 1829 1848 1821 
Norfolk 1814 Shropshire 1794 1823 
1815 1800 1825 
1824 1820 1827 


31 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


NAPRPRAsMN AAA A ALA AALA LMM aaa AAA ALAA ALAM Maa aA AAA ALATA LALLY VV EVRY AYAT AT ATAPA Tria Pin Tul ul al al al eT IY 


Sussex 1828 Wales 1828 Wiltshire 1833 
1830 1829 1838 
1832 1830 1843 
1835 1832 Worcestershire 1791 
1837 1838 " 

792 

1838 1840 1793 
1839 1841 1816 
1840 1843 1821 
1841 1844 1828 
ur fas 1843 
1643 To49 1844 
1845 1850 1848 
: Me Warwickshire 1794 1849 
noe 1800 Yorkshire 1794 

Wales 1791 1801 y 

8 797 

1792 IoIo 1806 
1793 1817 1808 
1794 1818 1816 
1798 1824 Be 
1803 1832 8 4 
1808 1837 ca 
1809 1839 be 
1811 Wiltshire 1791 Bice 
1814 1799 1824 
181s 1803 1827 
1821 I8II 1837 
1823 1816 1841 
1824 1817 1842 
1825 1820 1843 
1826 1828 1846 
1827 1829 1848 


32 








soyour %or yysStay Aq sayour $1 yIpIm “Teuisug 
VVQI SATAONILNVLSNOO NI ANAOS 





Amc RONOLOGCICALMLIST OF TURNER'S VISITS 
TO FOREIGN COUNTRIES AND 
THEIR DEPENDENCIES 


SAPS Ne AN ATIATIATIAT Ars NAPAAPRDRNARNABNDSAPNAPN APN AA NPN NE ANGE NsPusryse NAPRASNARAA NEARY AA ATIALIALLA RAPRAPRAPRAP NARA ANY, PENIMNPNUPN INI N ah IAT IAT Is NsPRPRAsry AAIANPN NOP NAPPA EEN PR 


Albania 1844 France 1833 Gibraltar 1846 
Algeria 1846 : ey Greece 1809 
Austria 1818 ve 1844. 
1834 1838 Holland 1817 

1840 1839 1818 

Belgium 1817 1842 1821 
1818 1843 1825 

1821 1844 Le 

1826 1845 1834 

1834 1848 Italy 1802 

1839 1849 1818 

1842 Germany 1802 1819 

1845 1817 1820 

1847 1818 1822 

Bohemia 1821 1821 1828 
Canary Islands 1846 1822 ee 
: 1825 1831 
Corsica 1809 re 1834 
et 1828 1836 

Dalmatia 1843 1833 1837 
Denmark 1821 1834 nie 
1835 1639 

Egypt 1836 1836 1840 
France 1802 1838 1841 
1809 1839 1842 

1819 1842 1843 

1821 1843 1844 

1825 1845 1847 

1826 1847 1848 

1828 1850 1849 


30 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


SNOT BENDINAPNSPRDBRUBAS EADS ASSAM NAN AA NAA NAN AAT a a a a AAA AAA aia Tilt ati il tial Talal Talal AT ATA aia a Pull ial Vial Piel tial ial Tal Daal PAT ATLA ATLA IA LIA Td 


Italy 
Madeira 
Malta 
Minorca 
Palestine 
Persia 
Poland 
Portugal 
Russia 
Saxony 


Sicily 


1850 
1846 
1829 
1840 
1844 


1844. 
1821 


1842 
1821 
1838 
1822 
1829 


Sicily 


Spain 


Sweden 


Switzerland 


1834 
1843 
1844 
1840 
1842 
1821 


1802 
1818 
1821 
1828 
1829 
1833 


1834 
1836 


Switzerland 


Turkey in Asia 


Turkey in Europe 


1838 
1839 
1842 
1843 
1844. 
1845 
1847 
1848 
1849 
1850 
1829 
1836 
1844 
1844 


Turner also visited Sardinia and Majorca, but as I do not possess any 
of the drawings made there, I am unable to include them in the above list, 
not knowing the dates with certainty. 

I have Turner’s own written statement as to the number and kind of 
sketches he made in the two places named. 

The famous house of Coutts in London kept Turner’s accounts, and 


were his bankers during the periods of his numerous journeys abroad. 


If the present directors of that institution could be induced to make a 
search through their early records, much light might be thrown on the in- 
teresting problem of Turner’s travels on the Continent. 


34 








TEE DiviCi Esso ARG YE, 1o24 
Original, width 151% inches by height 18 inches 


FACTS AND DEDUCTIONS 


Sele 


From a study of over 200 specimens of Turner’s work in portraiture 
(sketches and highly finished examples), it is likely that, had he chosen to 
become a portrait-painter instead of a landscape artist, he would have 
equalled the best. 


There is overwhelming evidence of his having possessed a keen sense of 
humour. Besides his sketch-books, with over 250 pen-and-ink and pencil 
drawings of a comic nature, there are many separate pieces, equally calcu- 
lated to produce mirth. 


There is proof that he visited the islands adjacent to England — the 
Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, and the Western Isles of Scotland. 


From my collection we learn that Turner paid no less than seven visits 
to Ireland—in 1798, 1809, 1810, 1812, 1817, 1826, and 1845. 

With Turner’s well-known propensity for travel and his desire to see all 
that was worth seeing, it is a matter of surprise that among all his biog- 
raphers not one has even stated the probability of his having visited Ireland. 


I possess what seems to be indisputable evidence that Turner visited 
many countries and islands other than those mentioned by his biographers. 
They include Greece, Albania, Bohemia, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Russia, 
Persia, Spain, Portugal, Madeira, Malta, Algeria, Turkey in Europe, Turkey 
in Asia, Palestine, Egypt, Minorca, Majorca, Gibraltar, Sardinia, the Canary 
Isles, Corsica, and Dalmatia. 


Much speculation has been indulged in regarding Turner’s whereabouts 
and work during the four different years in which he was unrepresented in 
the Royal Academy exhibitions. They were 1805, 1821, 1824, and 1848. 

I am not able to throw any light on the year 1805. 

In 1821 he made an extended tour on the Continent, and also visited 
Wales; in 1824 he visited many northern counties, including the lake dis- 
trict, and went on to Scotland; in 1848 he visited Wales, France, Switzer- 
land, and Italy; also northern and western parts of England. I have many 


35 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 
NOAA NANA N AEN ENGENENGENGINGENSINAAERNASNESOANNIN LNA NUENAERGENSERGENSENATNSSNS®NAINAMN/ INA NALS uP RUPYUENSPRGFA SFR SEA ARAMA INP IO/ IAS IONU/ ANALY NUP NUPNYPNDLSPN DTA SAZIA/ A/G h Nast 
of his drawings made on these three tours, those of 1821 comprising virtually 
his entire output of that year. 


Turner was a maker of “cut-out” silhouette portraits, following in the 
footsteps of Mrs. Delany rather than of those who were given to shadow 
work. 

I have about two dozen specimens of his work, besides many figures, 
birds, butterflies, etc. 

In Mr. Folger’s collection is a “cut-out” portrait of Shakespeare, while 
my own contains one of Mr. Pickwick. Both bear Turner’s hidden signature 
and the date. 


Turner was evidently a liberal purchaser of blank albums, and filled 
them with drawings and sketches from his vast accumulation. Some were 
made for certain of his patrons, and others for his own satisfaction and 
pleasure. 

Many of the latter bear his signature on the back. In time they passed 
into other hands, and became widely scattered. It-has been my pleasurable 
task to locate and bring them together once more. 


Turner made a number of panoramic views, generally by piecing to- 
gether leaves of his sketch-books containing part sketches of such places as, 
in his judgment, called for that particular type and method of representa- 
tion. They are sometimes mounted on linen. 

My collection includes, among others, panoramic views of London (six 
sections, one unfortunately missing); Sidmouth, Devon; city of Naples; 
Bay of Naples (seven feet in length); and Hastings and St. Leonard’s, in 
Sussex. The latter is seven inches in height by twenty-two feet in length, 
and covers a shore distance of two miles and a half! I have others of Palermo, 
Messina, the English lakes, and an island in Greece, the latter made on the 
occasion of his second visit, in 1844. 


Although Turner made a definite mention of lithography in his sketch- 
book of 1824, indicating his interest in it, most writers have believed that he 
never made one; articles, pro and con, appeared in the “Connoisseur” in 
1906, but the matter does not appear to have been conclusively settled. 

My collection contains over fifty lithographs, more than one-half of 
which came to me in Turner’s own albums. I put them to the same test as 
had been applied to his drawings, and found that in every case they bore his 
hidden signature and the date. With few exceptions they are dated 1824, 


36 


FACTS AND DEDUCTIONS 
I have submitted them to Mr. Joseph Pennell, than whom there is no 
greater authority, and than whom there is no one more difficult to convince 
without good evidence and reason, and he has expressed himself as finally 
satisfied that Turner made lithographs. 


It is well known that Turner made copies of the work of other artists. 
In my collection are copies of Raphael, Rembrandt, Correggio, Gerard Dou, 
Guido Reni, Adrian van Ostade, Teniers, Paul Potter, Poussin, Van Dyck, 
Van de Velde, Reynolds, Wilson, Gainsborough, and many others, includ- 
ing Thomas Girtin. 


A study of the drawings for the “Liber Studiorum,” on exhibition in the 
Tate Gallery, and a comparison of them with those in my own collection, has 
convinced me that Turner made two or more drawings of many of the sub- 
jects, generally with slight variations. I have duplicates of many that are 
in the Tate Gallery, and a few of the original subjects (including ‘“‘Calm”’), 
not in the National Collection. 


There are varieties and types of Turner’s work with which even experts 
and authorities are unacquainted, because of their want of correspondence 
with any and all examples in the National Gallery. 

A portrait in silhouette, a copy of a Chinese painting, a bouquet of 
flowers, a bunch of grapes, a bird’s nest, a lead-pencil, a comic sketch, or 
even a landscape showing unusual treatment and effects, would fail of recog- 
nition and acceptance by them, though Turner made a number of each. 


Mr. Marcus B. Huish compiled and published in 1878 a very interesting 
map of “Turner’s Haunts,” in England, Scotland, and Wales, from 1790 to 
1835. It was necessarily and solely based on the material in the National 
Gallery. The number of places mentioned is 339. It should be remembered, 
however, that Mr. Huish’s map was compiled many years before Mr. 
Finberg’s “Inventory” was published. 

Were a new map compiled to-day, and the places represented in my col- 
lection of drawings, not known to Mr. Huish, added to his, the number 
would be doubled at least. 


In evidence of Turner’s having been a reader of literature, I have illus- 
trations by him of the works of Shakespeare, Dickens, Scott, Cervantes, 
Byron, Rogers, Burns, Tennyson, and Cowper. 


37 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 
Somewhat over one hundred different subjects, other than landscape, 
drawn by Turner appear in the collection in the National Gallery. This 
number could be materially augmented from my own. 


From Turner’s drawings and sketches in my possession a list of con- 
siderable proportions could be compiled of places in Continental Europe 
visited by Turner, but not mentioned in Mr. Finberg’s “Inventory.” 


Turner made, at two different periods of his life, special collections of his 
architectural work. The drawings and sketches, with a few oil-paintings 
(on prepared paper), were placed by him in four folio volumes, of which I 
possess three. One volume is devoted entirely to his European tour of 1821, 
the other to his visits to Greece in 1809, and Italy in 1819. The third vol- 
ume covers England, France, and Italy at later periods (1841-1843). 


The total number of Turner’s drawings and sketches is probably between 
38,000 and 40,000, instead of the 21,000 or 22,000 hitherto supposed; every 
one of them bears Turner’s full signature and its date, affixed by him in a 
hidden place and manner. 


It is not surprising that supposedly unsigned drawings of supreme 
quality and beauty should tempt unprincipled men and women to appropri- 
ate them and pass them off as their own. 

In consequence, many fine specimens of Turner’s art have been located 
and secured, some bearing the signatures of well-known contemporary 
artists, and others of unknown amateurs, the former having been affixed by 
certain unscrupulous dealers, or collectors, the latter by the amateurs them- 
selves. In connection with these “appropriated” drawings the problems 
presented can be solved only by the application of a double test: they must 
“bear all the earmarks” of Turner’s work, and they must also bear Turner’s 
hidden signatures and dates. 

No drawing, nor sketch, answering to the above description has been 
admitted to my collection unless it passed—and decisively so—that double 
test. 


Turner made copies of the work of other artists, but generally attached 
their names to the drawings in some way; he also made sketches in the man- 
ner of artists whose work merited his approbation, and who had earned 
public recognition. This accounts for his imitations of the work of Henry 
Alken, Thomas Rowlandson, and others. 


38 








’ 


TURNERS) POR TRATD SiGe CH. Olsens PAN EL Ri 1823 


inches 


hes by height 13% 


1, width 9 inc 


igina 


Or 


TURNER’S HANDWRITING 


Speeds 


+%/HILE viewing certain Turner drawings on exhibition in the 
| Tate Gallery, some years ago, a gentleman whom I met there 
| said to me: “How strange it is that such marvellous work 
could have been accomplished by a man who was unable to 
ae eee] write legibly.” 

i? appeared that the very drawing he was inspecting had its title in 
Turner’s own clear handwriting, and I told him so, to his great surprise. 

Turner was above the average, as regards fama ged rather than below. 
He wrote a legible hand at all periods of his life, when he chose to do so. 
When hurried, he became careless, and then his writing was illegible—a mere 
scrawl. 

As to this, no more competent authority can be quoted than Mr. Finberg. 
He says: “On a small proportion of the drawings (in the National Gallery 
Collection) Turner has indeed scribbled some kind of note which no doubt 
would have been sufficient indication to himself of the name of the place 
represented; but the artist’s phonetic methods of spelling (especially in the 
case of foreign names) and the appalling illegibility of his handwriting 
render these indications less useful than they might have been.” 

Turner was an uncommonly good letterer. Judging from an “exercise” 
which I found in one of his personal albums (signed and dated by him), he 
had probably taken lessons from some early writing-master. The fine let- 
tering on the frontispiece of the “Liber Studiorum” was probably done by 
Turner himself. 

Like everybody else, and particularly those who live to old age, Turner’s 
handwriting changed materially at different periods, but peculiarities in the 
formation of certain letters can generally be traced in his writing throughout 
his entire career. 

A large proportion of his drawings and sketches have titles affixed to 
them by Turner himself. Sometimes an entire group will bear titles, and the 
next group found will lack them. It may be explained by the different 
periods, or that the titled ones were made for special patrons, on order. 

From the scarcity of Turner’s personal letters, one might imagine that 
he did little writing. The contrary is the fact. Many of his pencilled archi- 





39 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 
tectural drawings are literally covered with his writing. He gathered an im- 
mense array of facts and information from many sources during his entire 
life. A large portion of this he laboriously copied, and much of it appears in 
his sketch-books in the National Gallery, and elsewhere. 

One of Turner’s many peculiarities has to do with his handwriting. 

Even as he hid his signatures on his drawings, so he attempted to dis- 
guise his handwriting on certain varieties of his work—notably his comic 
sketches. 

The titles show all the characteristics of disguised handwriting, but a 
close comparison of them with his regular and undisputed writing shows but 
little change in the formation of most of the letters. 

Besides, these comic sketches bear, like all the rest of Turner’s work, his 
hidden signatures and the dates. 

Two letters of the alphabet—k and x—seem to have often given 
Turner trouble in the making, and occasionally, when there existed an 
uncertainty regarding the identification of his handwriting, the presence 
of these two letters, with their peculiar formation, has helped to turn the 
scale and settle the question. 

With few exceptions Turner’s personal letters are written in a large, free, 
businesslike hand, while most of his other writing is smaller in size, not so 
easily read, and indicates hurry, if not carelessness. This applies, particu- 
larly, to the descriptive details given on his sketches. 

A considerable portion of the titles on his later drawings is given in capi- 
tal letters—others in a sort of “half-print.” 

While, in general, his handwriting preserved its main characteristics 
throughout his entire life, he made many changes, from time to time, in the 
formation of certain letters. 

My collection contains specimens of Turner’s handwriting covering 
approximately sixty out of the sixty-six years of his active career. A study 
of them is most interesting from more view-points than one. 


40 





sayoul g yysIay Aq sayout C1 YIPIM “[eulsuG 
878I “LSVOO HSINYOO AHL NO VaS HONOY 


adie! 


et 





TURNER’S HIDDEN SIGNATURES 


Seedy 


HAVE already told the story of my accidental discovery of 
Turner’s hidden signatures, and its value as confirmatory 
evidence in the examination of drawings and sketches pre- 
viously accepted as the work of his brush or pencil. 

ee I have located Turner’s signature on thousands of his 
drawings and sketches, and have marked on them the places where they have 
been and can now be found. 

No sketch made by him was considered too trivial to bear his signature. 
I have one on a spade; another on the wick of a candle; still another on alead- 
pencil. If an appropriate place presented itself in the completed drawing, it 
was placed there; if not, he invented one. A study of his methods and pecu- 
liarities, in the placing of his signatures, is most interesting, and as a result 
of such study, one learns where they are most likely to be found. 

His boyhood drawings of 1785-1787 were signed in rather large letters 
“W. Turner”; those from 1788 to, approximately, 1797 were signed “J. W. 
Turner’; and beginning with 1798 his full name, “J. M. W. Turner,” was 
used. 

In the fine collection of Turner’s drawings in the Manchester Whitworth 
Institute there are examples with the signatures “Turner”; “Turner, 1795”; 
envied 3. J. Turner, R. As’: and.““J. M, Wo‘Turner, rzos.”” 

These impossible signatures must not be considered as casting discredit 
on the drawings themselves, which are doubtless the work of Turner’s hands. 

It simply means that the signatures are fictitious, probably placed there 
by, or under the directions of, original owners, or their descendants, who, 
knowing them to be by Turner, and being unaware that they already bore 
his hidden signature, by which they might be identified, endeavoured to 
“make assurance doubly sure” by adding a visible sign of the great artist’s 
workmanship. 

My own collection contains a beautiful water-colour drawing by Turner 
of his favourite “Norham Castle” on which some former owner has gratu- 
itously placed the artist’s signature. 

Turner’s method, apparently, was to write his signature on the selected 
space (possibly with the aid of a magnifying-glass), and then to cover it 





41 


Tahoe U NoRINIO OW ON ay UR NFER: 

with such substance as he happened to be using as a medium. Unfortunately, 
his adoption of this method makes it almost impossible to obtain, by pho- 
tography, satisfactory results in enlarged reproductions of the signatures, 
for they are to a certain extent buried under the surface, and the substance 
covering them is also reproduced with all the defects incidental to enlarge- 
ment. He generally placed the signature in the darkest available place, and 
on a solid line. 

It will not do to use the fallacious argument that Turner was too proud 
of his name to have hidden it, for he hid it consistently from the very begin- 
ning of his career—his boyhood days—when he had no name to be proud of. 
Having started it, in all probability, as a whim, he continued it unto the 
end, doubtless taking both pains and satisfaction in his ability to place it 
in such ways and places as to escape observation and discovery. Whatever 
theories one may have on the subject, the fact remains that he did place a 
hidden signature and date on all his drawings and sketches, and they can 
be found—and have been found—by those sufficiently interested in them 
to expend the necessary time, patience, and labour in the search. 

In nearly all cases it is necessary to use strong magnifying-glasses with 
which to reveal the signatures and dates. They are generally minute and 
difficult to locate. No one will deny that if a man of Turner’s great skill 
and ingenuity chose to hide his signature, it would be done in such a way 
that no hasty glance nor superficial examination would reveal it. To one 
possessing good eyesight, together with a large stock of patience and per- 
severance, the task will not prove particularly difficult. 

As elsewhere stated, I have examined many exhibited drawings in the 
National Gallery, Tate Gallery, British Museum, Oxford University, Vic- 
toria and Albert Museum, and other institutions, and have found Turner’s 
hidden signatures on every one of them, although knowledge of their exist- 
ence is still unknown to the officials who have them in their keeping. 

They are not to be blamed for the want of this knowledge, which was 
based on a discovery, but they lay themselves open to condemnation and 
public rebuke if, having had their attention specifically called to the fact 
that every drawing and sketch in their keeping, really the work of Turner’s 
hands, bears both his signature and its date, they deliberately determine 
to ignore the facts so clearly stated, so capable of proof, and so limitless in 
possibilities. 

With a view to demonstrate the variety of methods and places which 
Turner made use of in hiding his signatures and dates on his drawings and 
sketches, I gathered a dozen of them at random from my collection, and 
give herewith a list of where the signatures and dates were found on those 
particular pieces: 1. On body of cow; 2. On boat; 3. On man’s hat; 4. On 
antenna of butterfly; 5. On walking-stick; 6. On legs of cow; 7. On trunk of 


42 


TURNER'S HIDDEN SIGNATURES 
tree; 8. On head of man; 9. On legs of man; 10. In eye of woman; 11. In 
window; 12. In eye of bird (parrot). 

Walter Thornbury said he had no doubt that Turner died actually re- 
joicing in the fact that even his best friends knew not where he lay hid. 

There is an even greater likelihood that the occasion for his rejoicing 
would be the knowledge of his: having successfully hidden his signatures and 
dates on every example—great or trivial, large or small—that came from 
his magic brush and pencil. 

He carried with him to the grave the knowledge that no human being 
had discovered his secret-—and it was destined that nearly another half- 
century should pass before the mystery would be solved. 

In placing his signature and date on his drawings and sketches, Turner 
was both methodical and consistent. If the selected space was oblong in 
shape, the signature was made in a single line; if the space was square or 
oval, it was divided into two lines, the initials “J. M. W.” above and 
“Turner” below. 

The date was invariably placed in the upper left-hand corner when the 
shape was oblong, and in the upper centre when square or oval. 

A signature in a perpendicular space was so placed that it could only be 
read from the right-hand side, never from the left. 

Familiar knowledge of the unchanging methods of Turner in affixing his 
signatures and dates is an essential aid in locating and deciphering them. 

The same thing may be said regarding the spots selected by Turner in 
which to place his signatures and dates. A long familiarity with and a close 
study of his methods are most helpful—in fact, essential—in locating them. 

As with the reading of the signatures and dates, so with the locating of 
the spaces containing them: the more you find, the easier it will be to find 
others. 

While my attention has been almost exclusively given to Turner’s draw- 
ings and sketches, I have good reasons for believing that his hidden signa- 
tures and dates appear on all of his oil-paintings as well. 

I possess eight of them, and they are all signed and dated. Among the 
paintings on permanent exhibition at the National and Tate Galleries, I 
have located the signatures and dates on several, including his “Fighting 
Témeéraire,” and “Rain, Steam, and Speed.” The signatures on these paint- 
ings can be found without special effort. 

On the “Téméraire,” it is on the black head of the party at the left of 
the base of the smoke-stack. The signature is in two lines: ONES 2 
above and “Turner” below, the date above all. 

On “Rain, Steam, and Speed” the signature and date can be easily dis- 
cerned on the locomotive. 

In all cases where photographic reproductions have been made directly 


43 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 
from original drawings, the hidden signatures and dates may be readily 
found. 

In confirmation of this statement, the reader is requested to examine 
with a magnifying-glass of sufficient power the darkened doorway entrance 
to the castle in the reproduction of the drawing of Dunstanborough Castle 
in Mr. Finberg’s “History of Turner’s Liber Studiorum,” 1924. 

The date appears in the upper portion. Below it are the initials J. M. W., 
and the name Turner follows directly beneath. 

The signatures and dates may likewise be found on every drawing and 
sketch reproduced in the present volume, when no screen has been used. 

It is significant that in one of Turner’s personal albums in my collection 
appears an engraved copy of the Lord’s Prayer in such minute form that 
it measures only three-eighths of an inch in diameter. I have another, also, 
which belonged to Turner. They clearly indicate his interest in microscopic 
handwriting. 

In 1924 the Smithsonian Institution at Washington received from a 
correspondent a forty-four-word letter reposing in the eye of a needle. It 
had to be magnified eighty-eight times before it could be read. 

Another man in England wrote 9,000 words (a report of a case in court) 
on a post-card. 

Turner’s minor performances in the line of compressed writing must not 
be confounded with such feats as those described. He merely wrote his name 
and the date on chosen spaces of various sizes, and glasses magnifying from 
ten to twenty times will generally reveal the writing with sufficient clear- 
ness to enable one to decipher and read it. 


44 





soyout g yySiey Aq sayoul F YIPIM “eUISIO sayout 6 yyS1ay Aq sayoutr L y prim “Teulsugd 
TVQI SHOIMMOMM “UW AO LIVULAOd LAO-LND ZVSI “AGVT 10 LIVYLUOd FLLERONTIS 


ORAM ARE 





TURNER’S HIDDEN DATES 


Spee 


pe2|HE importance of the discovery that all of Turner’s drawings 
and sketches are dated can hardly be overestimated. 

A careful reading of all the biographies and critical stud- 
ies of Turner reveals, in the admissions of their authors, the 

—<*=! great handicap they suffered in the want of knowledge as to 
when the pictures they referred to were painted or drawn. 

Mr. Finberg, in his exhaustive inventory of the drawings and sketches in 
the National Gallery, was obliged to give only approximate dates to the 
great bulk of them. Elsewhere I have called attention to instances where 
there proved to be differences of many years between the actual and as- 
sumed dates. 

Without knowledge of the exact dates as given on the drawings, all 
other writers on Turner have been, and will, necessarily, be, subject to the 
same handicap as Mr. Finberg. 

The dates have in many cases confirmed my own suppositions, and in 
others have proved them erroneous. 

By the dates I have been enabled to establish basic itineraries of Tur- 
ner’s travels in certain years, viz: 1794, 1798, 1809, 1810, 1818, 1821, 1822. 
1824, 1826, 1828, 1833, 1834, 1836, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842, 1843, 1844, 1845, 
1846, 1848, 1849, and 1850. 

It will be observed that in this list are included three of the four years in 
which Turner failed to exhibit at the Royal Academy. 

Judging from my experience in the study of Turner’s dates, I am satis- 
fied the date affixed by him to a drawing or sketch was that of the year in 
which it was made—whether original or copied. 

If in 1835 he made a copy of an 1815 “Liber Studiorum”’ drawing, he 
dated it 1835. | 

There are, in my opinion, great possibilities in connection with the use 
of Turner’s dates in further investigations of the work of that wonderful 
genius. 

I have supplied the key. It is for others to make use of it. 

As an illustration of the value pertaining to the hidden dates of Turner, 
I will narrate one of my personal experiences. 

For years I had preserved on a back shelf a parcel labelled “puzzle- 





45 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 
drawings.” It contained a group of over twenty pen-and-ink and pencil 
sketches of places in Italy, Switzerland, and Austria, bearing titles and the 
uniform date of 1835. They were leaves from sketch-books. 

I purchased them because I recognised the work as undoubtedly by 
Turner, and the titles were in his handwriting. 

Why, then, were they designated “puzzle-drawings,” and refused ad- 
mittance to my Turner collection? 

Other sketches in my possession proved conclusively that Turner was 
touring the River Rhine on the very dates named in the Italian series. He 
surely could not be in Italy and on the Rhine the same day. 

After the lapse of years, during which I had placed absolute dependence 
on Turner’s openly written dates of 1835, I made a particularly close exam- 
ination of the sketches, and found that every one of them bore Turner’s 
hidden date of 1834! 

I do not pretend to explain such an error. There are a number of ways 
of accounting for it. I only know that it did occur, and the proof is avail- 
able in the signed and dated sketches. 

In 1834 Turner made an extended tour in Italy, Sicily, southern France, 
Switzerland, and Austria, returning through Germany and Holland. He 
explored the regions in which all the places in the “puzzle-drawings”’ were 
located. 


46 





soyout ZL yysiey Aq sayoul 6 ypin ‘BUIslLC 
(astuyued puv ‘ysnaq “louad s sousny) 
6781 SON Wa TY “ULS @2O SSSAHONGd GN Ach a 





INTERESTING ITEMS IN THE 
COLLECTION 


eh Teh eT PINISISCENN ING INWINGENGERAENGIRAINIINESNDSAANSINGINGINNENVINGENGENGENSPNGPRAENAMRAMNDNNIMNINGANLANG ANAL NUE NAENUPNGPRGPAGPASANIBLAERIIOANA/MGP MEAN N GL Naf Mef MUP APNGMEIAESALIERZIA AIAN AA 


Portrait sketch of Lord Byron, with drawings of his residences in Greece 
and Switzerland. | 

Drawings on silk, made in southern France. 

Home of John Milton in Oxfordshire. 

Panoramic sectional drawing, in pen and ink, of Bay of Naples, 7 ft. in 
length. 

Unpublished illustrations of Scott’s novels. 

Series of large drawings of Gibraltar and vicinity, 1846. 

Drawing in the style of Thomas Rowlandson. 

Illustrations of Dickens; mostly copies, with variations. 

Turner’s oil sketch (unfinished) of his father, 1820. 

Devon sketch of 1850, with draft of letter to his nephew. 

Series of scenes and figures made in Constantinople, 1844. 

Turner’s drawings of “Liber Studiorum” subjects (20). 

London places and scenes. (List given elsewhere.) 

Humourous sporting scenes in style of Henry Alken (8). 

Humourous illustrations in pen and ink entitled “The History of Damon 
and Phillis” (6). 

Turner’s masterpiece in pencil (23 x 15 in.), Smyrna, 1836. 

Drawings of dead game. 

Water-colour portrait of the Duchess of Argyll. 

Naval engagement between the ships “Shannon” and “Chesapeake.” 

Tower of Belim, Portugal. Original sketch and completed water-colour. 

Arctic scenes (3) illustrating the Franklin expedition. 

Room at Walmer Castle in which Wellington died. 

A “composition blot”’ landscape. 

A drawing made in Devonshire for his mother. 

Collection of pressed leaves, fitted to a pencilled basket design. 

Transparent landscape. 


47 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


OVLIVLIVITTLIVITULITLITATTATTAPIA TIAA TLL Pin PRT LIU RT TATTATIAT IATA ATA Pi a LSA AADAC ai a AAA heehee aLe 


Drawings made in France in 1838 which would pass for the work of one of 
our modern artists. 


Large water-colour of Tintern Abbey, with the pencil drawing from which 
it was made. 


Water-colour portrait of Lola Montez. 

Miniature remarque etching by Turner of his “Téméraire.” 

Original sketch of “Plymouth from Mount Batten.” 

(Victoria and Albert Museum has the water-colour made from it.) 
Sketch containing Turner’s note, “Corrected from nature by myself.” 
Original sketch of “Corfe Castle,’ with engraving made from it. 
Water-colour design for wall-paper. 

Leaf of illuminated manuscript. 

Original sketch of “Margate,” with engraving made from it. 


Sketch of birthplace of Sir Joshua Reynolds, with Turner’s detailed descrip- 
tion on reverse. 


Portrait sketch of George Jones, one of his executors. 
Street representation of “Punch and Judy.” 

Portrait sketch of Sir Joshua Reynolds. 

“Return from the Derby.” 

Portrait sketch of Robert Southey. 

Balloon ascension, Brighton, 1843. 

Figures of General Washington and Mrs. Washington (copied). 
Map of the Lakes of Killarney. 

Milton dictating ‘‘Paradise Lost” to his daughters (copy). 
Copy of a Chinese painting. 

The ship “Victory” in Portsmouth Harbor, 1849. 

Gray’s monument at Stoke Pogis. 

Birthplace of Robert Burns. 

U. S. ship “Chesapeake” after her capture by the British. 
Bacon’s monument in St. Michael’s Church, St. Albans. 
Boat-race at Putney. 

A bull-fight in Spain, 1842. 

A number of portraits in silhouette form. 

Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. 

Patchwork combination of 12 drawings on a sheet. 
Remarkable copy of a mezzotint portrait of John Locke. 
Groups of Oxford and Cambridge views. 


48 


PND E RESTING) fTEMS IN ee COLLECTION 


Portrait eat Lord Rares 

Humorous playing-cards. 

Panoramic view of London, 1837. 

Panoramic view of Hastings and St. Leonards, 1841. 

Portrait of Topham Beauclerc. 

View of Nazareth (sepia), 1844. 

Cut-out transparency: church interior. 

A wheel of fortune. 

Interiors of the four famous churches in Rome (St. Peter’s, St. John Lat- 
eran, St. Paul’s, St. Maria Maggiore). 

Turkish “Hamal” carrying Turner’s personal luggage on his back. 

Design for an album title-page. 

Original charades with accompanying flower design. 

Bioscope (seven ages, in decades). 

Cut-out portrait of Mr. Pickwick, 1842. 


LONDON VIEWS 


It is generally believed that the drawings and sketches of London in 
Turner’s sketch-books in the National Gallery comprise his entire output 
in that important and particular line. Few, if any, London drawings are 
known to be in any other public or private collection. 

The scope and comprehensiveness of my collection of Turner’s work may 
be judged by the following list of London views, forming a single section of it: 


Northumberland House. 

Blackfriar’s Bridge. 

Waterloo Bridge (building). 

Guildhall. Interior. 

Guildhall. Chapel. 

Herald’s College. 

St. Bartholomew’s Hospital. 

Auction mart. 

St. Paul’s School. 

Dutch Church, Austin Friars. Interior. 


49 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


PiAriaria NaPRsPhsPi Pasty PENATRAIREMN ANY: AATIATIALIAIALIALIALIAL ILD Mri ele Lely TENT a I AIAL Lary ATIATIAT IAT IA Ll il lek Lek BPNPRAPSAPS PNR EN ARERR 


Dutch Church, Austin Friars. Exterior. 
Charterhouse. Interior. 

Unknown. Interior. 

Chelsea Hospital. 

Painted chamber, Westminster. 

Roof of St. Stephen’s Chapel. 

Speaker’s House, Palace Yard, Westminster. 
Union Club-house, Trafalgar Square. 

Horse Guards, Whitehall. 

King’s Cross, 1815. 

Principal entrance to Vauxhall Gardens. 
Panoramic view of London, 8 feet in length. 
Opera-house, Haymarket and Suffolk Place. 
Hyde Park. 

Fire in Tooley Street. 

Host of the King’s Head, Cheapside. 
Devonshire Street. 

Scene at Millbank. 

Kensington Gardens (2). 

Primrose Hill. 

Church and inn, Chelsea. 


Sketch of fire which destroyed Houses of Parliament, 1834. 


Doorway from the Palace of Westminster. 
London from Greenwich. 

Back of the toll-bar, King’s Road, Chelsea, 1808. 
Battersea and London from Putney, 1810. 
Battersea Bridge and Chelsea Church. 

Chelsea Hospital from the other side of the water. 
Near the Red House, Battersea Fields, 1811. 
Windmill in Battersea Fields, 1811. 

Near Battersea, 1811. 

In Lord Cremorne’s grounds, Chelsea, 1808. 
Toll-bar, King’s Road, Chelsea, 1808. 

Back view of Lord Cremorne’s house, Chelsea, 1808. 
Chelsea Hospital from Ranelagh. 

Ranelagh, 1810. | 

London from Blackfriars Bridge, 1841. 


50 


Aid ie lek el Ue PINAR PS EE 


LONDON VIEWS 


TAA AA AAAL Aaa a aaa TAAL TAArAriaAl iat id il il vil Tiel Yl Y AN ADALIALIALIALIALIALIAT ATi bE a Talal TATA AIA ALA ALAA il Cel tel Cel Le aaa al ialy 


Horizontal mill, Battersea. 

Battersea, 1811. 

Colosseum in Regent’s Park. 

Plan for a street-railway. 

Design for Architectural Insurance Co. 

Millbank, 1808. 

Interior of St. Stephen’s Church, Walbrook. 

From Millbank. 

Nine Elms Mill, 1811. 

Horseferry Road, 1808. 

Westminster Abbey, Hall, etc., from Stangate Wharf, 1810. 
Near the Red House, Battersea Fields (boat), 1811. 
Battersea Fields, 1811. 

Ranelagh, 1810. 

Paddington Canal (2). 

Near Grosvenor Place, Pimlico, 1810. 

Back of the pest-houses, Tothill Fields, 1808. 
Lambeth Palace from Tothill Fields, 1810. 
Westminster Abbey from Tothill Fields, 1810. 


Water-cart, with name and address of owner (“John Summers, Tothill 
Fields, Westminster Common’”’). 


Horseferry Road, Tothill Fields, 1810. 
Marylebone Church. 

Tothill Fields (15 different). 
Westminster Abbey Towers. 
Lansdowne House. 

Holland House (2). 

Treasury, Whitehall. 

Army and Navy Club, Pall Mall. 
British Museum. 

Bayswater Conduit. 

Christ’s Hospital. 

Serpentine and bridge, Hyde Park. 
St. James Park. 

Lambeth from Westminster Bridge. 
Houses near Drury Lane. 
Westminster Cloisters. 


SI 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


AAFADPADENDEADNAANG/NGEN APNE NEMS FAZER GPRSEA SPAS EUSEADSND MA NAPNAANA ANGE NEN MENGE APRS PRS PRSEA SERA RAD EAD NOPNAP NAL NAS PN DENDPNAENAPN SERS PAS EAS IRA SAL EOP SOP NEP NAL NAL NUPNEN AERP AIPAIPAIPADSAS SAAS AENE 


Lambeth Palace. 

Bond Street. 

Vauxhall. 

Exterior of St. Ann’s Church, Soho. 
Crystal Palace Exhibition (2). 

Crystal Palace Exhibition Grounds. 

Old public house at Bayswater. 

Tree in Kensington Gardens. 

Tavistock Square (Fields). 

Kensington Gardens, 1848. 

Elms in St. James’s Park. 

On the Thames, near Hammersmith. 
Jerusalem Chamber, Westminster Abbey. 
Bank of England (now in H. G. Spicer’s collection, London). 
On the Canal, near Maida Hill. 

Fulham and Fulham Bridge (4). 
Elephant and Castle. 

Custom-house. 


The foregoing list does not include drawings and sketches of the vicinity 
of London: Hampstead, Highgate, Richmond, Barnes, Wandsworth, Putney, 
Wimbledon, Twickenham, etc., of which there are over one hundred. 

Of the London views above described, every one bears a mark indicating 
where Turner’s hidden signature and date has been found by myself and 
others, and where it may be found by any person possessing ordinarily good 
eyesight, a fair amount of patience and perseverance, and an open mind. 


52 


BY WAY OF COMMENT 


THE WRITER OF THESE COMMENTS DESIRES 

TO SAY THAT WHILE HE HAS, IN THE LIGHT 

OF LATER RESEARCH AND DISCOVERIES, 

FOUND IT NECESSARY IN SOME INSTANCES TO 

CONTROVERT THE STATEMENTS AND OPINIONS 

OF OTHERS, HE HAS ENDEAVOURED TO DO SO 
IN A SPIRIT OF FAIRNESS. 


HE BELIEVES THAT WITH RARE EXCEPTIONS 

TURNER WAS FORTUNATE IN HIS BIOGRA- 

PHERS AND EXPOSITORS, AND GRATEFULLY 

ACKNOWLEDGES HIS INDEBTEDNESS TO Ev- 

ERY ONE OF THE AUTHORS FROM WHOM HE 
HAS TAKEN THE LIBERTY TO QUOTE. 





soyout If 3yBroy Aq sayout $1 YIpIM “eurlsi4gO 
gfgr S‘ATTASOW FHL NO WAHIOD 





pes 


BY WAY OF COMMENT 


PTIVIIVIIVEIVRIVAIYAIVATTATIATIATTIATIAT IAT ATi Tid Vl Pal Pl Pa ALTA TAL TAL AT ATIALIAL IAL in id Ci Cel el aA AIAIADAA A ee aaa eee ie ee 


“In 1830-1840 Turner produced his most wonderful drawings in his own 


; ae a 
special manner—in the perfect pieces of it, insuperable. JOHN RUSKIN. 


Mr. Ruskin’s statement implies that Turner had one distinct “special 
manner,” whether he meant it to apply to that single decade or to his entire 
art career. 

As well might he speak of a sparkling, scintillating diamond as possessing 
its one special colour. 

To name the number of Turner’s “special manners”’ would require some 
calculation. 

The drawing herewith reproduced is titled in Turner’s handwriting 
“‘Cochem, on the Moselle.” It bears, also, his hidden signature and the date 
(1838). 

“Cochem” will, I trust, be accepted as a fitting representation of Turner’s 
work of the period named. 


“T am tolerably familiar with the actual grinding and polishing of lenses 
and specula, and have produced by my own hands some by no means bad 
optical work; and I have copied no small amount of Turner’s work; and I still 
look with awe at the combined delicacy and precision of his hand. It beats 


. e »”> 
optical work out of sight. W. KINGSLEY, OF SIDNEY SUSSEX COLLEGE. 


This is only one of a number of similar testimonies to the remarkable 
skill of Turner, as shown in his more delicate and minute work. It is useless 
to attempt to judge such a man by ordinary standards. There is no mea- 
suring-line for genius. 

A famous artist and critic when informed by me that Turner’s full sig- 
nature and the date were often placed by him in minute spaces smiled in- 
credulously and said that Turner could not have afforded to waste his val- 
uable time in such ways. 

On the contrary, a gentleman deeply versed in optical science and with 
wide practical experience gave it as his opinion that the signatures and 
dates could have been made by a man of Turner’s powers, without special 
effort, in not over a minute each. On a reasonable computation, this would 
have called for the total expenditure of only about two or three months’ 
time out of over sixty years of Turner’s active career! 


55 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


ENN A NORIO Dents Act fant ara pe 


“To many of our Soreign visitors, Turner is one of the principal attractions 


o> 
of England. SIR EDWARD T. COOK. 


This is not an exaggerated statement, in my opinion. One of many of 
my personal experiences will tend to confirm it. 

Shortly after the Great War I met a lady in London who had come from 
Boston, in America. Being a stranger there, she inquired whether the Tate 
Gallery was open to visitors. I informed her that portions of the collection 
were then on exhibition, but none of the Turners. The lady showed intense 
disappointment, saying that one of the greatest reasons she had in making 
the trip was to study the collection of Turner’s work there. She said she 
had looked forward to it for years. 


“ The earliest drawing reproduced in this series (Agnew Galleries Exhibition, 
London, 1924), the “Conway Castle, shows Turner already a virtuoso in all 
the immediate developments of the traditional style. I, If it is rightly dated, about 


. . 2 »” 
7802, it shows him no novice, etc. A. P. OPPE. 


“If it is rightly dated!” The language implies uncertainty. 

The drawing of Conway Castle was not made “about 1802,” but a 
quarter of a century later. It was made while on a visit to Wales and West 
England in 1828. Turner’s hidden signature and date appear on the dark- 
ened upright post which rather obtrusively projects from the foreground. 

The writing and figures are placed lengthwise, and they are to be read 
from the right side. They could doubtless be easily discerned on the original 
drawing, but a screen has been used in the process of reproduction, and 


I possess many of Turner’s drawings made on this same tour, including 
his “Carnarvon Castle” and “Pembroke Castle.” They bear every evidence 
of having been made by the same hand, and are all dated 1828. Turner’s 
“Dartmouth” was also of the vintage of 1828, 

I have over twenty of Turner’s drawings made on his first Continental 
tour of 1802; it needs only a glance by any one conversant with his work of 


56 


. 7 
i 
“ . 
, es 


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ew 7 
Ao 

al ie re 
4 : 
| 





é 


soyout VT JY SI9y Aq sayoul ot YIpiIM ‘JBUIBIIC 


STQI ‘NOAA SHLNOWXA UVAN ‘WVHATLLIT 





BY WAY OF COMMEN 


PLATIAT INV TiLY al aT aL TAL TALL TAT ALIALIALIALIAT Mn TEL el ela a aaa AA AAA AL hae aaa AAAI AL Aaa eh hee ae AL aL aL el ee ee ele 


“Am I the only Turner enthusiast who feels it at times a relief to turn away 
from his chromatic harmonies to his more simply rendered landscapes?” 


J. E. PHYTHIAN. 


“Turner treats the most common little subjects, such as a group of trees, a 
meadow, a shaded stream, with such art as to impart to them the most picturesque 


” 
charm. DR. WAAGEN. 


Mr. Phythian and Dr. Waagen are not alone in their regard for Turner’s 
simply rendered landscapes. 

There are many others who have an intense love for his charming rustic 
scenes, which he made by the hundreds, while on his numerous tours. 

He evidently sketched picturesque cottages and roadside scenes as con- 
tinuously. and rapidly as we now take photographic “snap-shots.”’ 

Turner’s work may be divided into two classes: those which were the 
product of his richly stored mind and unequalled imagination, and those for 
which his heart supplied the inspiration. 

He took pride and satisfaction in his great paintings, as he well might, but 
the loving care bestowed on so many of his “‘simple-nature” drawings and 
sketches present evidence in themselves of their having made a “pull at 
his heart-strings.”’ 


“Turner had a very marked attachment for special localities where he had 
worked, an attachment enhanced by the memory of the friends he had known 
there, and for the kindly and courteous welcome and hospitality they had given 


° 3? 
to him. Cc. A. SWINBURNE. 


We are all aware of Turner’s friendly relationship to the homes and fam- 
ilies of Walter Fawkes, Lord Egremont, Rev. Mr. Trimmer, W. F. Wells, 
and others mentioned by his biographers. One notable case has hitherto 
escaped attention. 

The family of the Simcoes, in Devonshire, was almost as close to his 
heart as the Fawkes family, in Yorkshire. There is evidence of his frequent 
visits to their home near Honiton: his familiar acquaintance with the chil- 
dren, whose Christian names often appear on his sketches, made with and 
for them; his drawings of the house and other buildings on the estate, as at 
Farnley Hall; views of the grounds (in one of which he represents himself 
in his favourite pastime of angling), etc. 

It would make a fine subject for an article by some competent and sym- 
pathetic hand. 


a7 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


UP Naf Nat Nat NUP DPA DBADPADRNPRASAQANNEN AS NAP NUE N UPN DPR PRZPRDPRAPADBAPNOANAANRANGA NGL NUE NGPA UL NAPASPRSPRAPRS ANDERS SALSA NAL NONE NUENBPNDPASPADPNDEAD RNA SAL SOL NEL NEL AUPNUP NUL NU PNUERPRSERSTAZTAASALS AY 


“4 drawing in my possession—‘A Roadside Inn’—the earliest dated work 


by him (1786) known to me.” W. G. RAWLINSON. 


This drawing by Turner is one year earlier than any in the National 
Gallery, which begins with the year 1787. 

I have six of his drawings of 1785, made when he was only ten years old, 
and an equal number of 1786. 


“T have to inform you that your collection is of no interest to this gallery.” 


J. B. MANSON, 
Assistant Director, Tate Gallery, London. 


My sole object in presenting this communication from the Tate Gallery 
as a basis for any comment is that my personal attitude in relation to the 
disposition of my Turner collection may be clearly understood. 

Being well aware of Turner’s ardent love for his native country, and that 
he himself was one of her most gifted and loyal sons, I endeavoured to find 
a way by which my collection of Turner’s drawings and sketches might be- 
come the property of the English nation, and not be transported to another 
country. 

I was prepared to make a great monetary sacrifice in order to bring this 
about, and made a preliminary approach to the officials of the Tate Gallery 
with this in mind. A visit was paid to my home, a small portion of my col- 
lection was examined, and the receipt of the letter, from which an extract is 
given, followed. 

Almost every drawing and sketch shown to the representative of the 
Tate Gallery came from either the Landseers (father and son), John Hender- 
son, Lady Leicester, Sir Charles Fellows, or Sir Wilfrid Lawson, although no 
mention of this was made at the time. A large proportion of them bore 
titles in Turner’s characteristic handwriting. Every sketch and drawing was 
surely the work of J. M. W. Turner, and bore his hidden signature and 
date. 

I endeavoured to do the right thing, and a generous thing, for Turner’s 
beloved England—and failed. Had reasonable and proper consideration 
been given to my suggestion, the English nation might easily have obtained 
possession of the largest and most important collection of Turner’s drawings 
and sketches ever formed, with the sole exception of that which came to it 
as part of the Turner Bequest. 


58 








TEMPLE OF ZEUS OLYMPIUS, WITH ACROPOLIS, ATHENS, 1844 


1, width 17% inches by height 11% inches 


igina 


Or 


BY WAY OF COMMENT 


LVL Til Vl Vial Val Lol LALLA TAT ALIALIALIALIAL IA Mtl Til Tel Cal Pel TAT TALTALIALIALIALIALIALIAT IAAT alata a AAA IAAL AL eee eA AAA Le ie lek ed 


“One water-colour, the magnificent Chryses, which he sent to the Royal 
Academy in 1811, calls for notice. What is so remarkable 1s its extraordinary 
Greek feeling. Colour apart, it at once recalls the scenery and the sentiment of 
the Greek Islands, although Turner never in his life saw them.” 


W. G. RAWLINSON. 


There is a risk involved in making positive statements regarding what a 
man with Turner’s peculiar characteristics did or did not do. 

He went to many places, in many foreign lands, the knowledge of which 
he studiously hid from even his most intimate friends. Some of this has been 
revealed in the inventory of the National Gallery collection, and still more 1s 
now, for the first time, brought to light in this volume. 

The reason why Turner was able to express “extraordinary Greek feel- 
ing,” and to “recall the scenery and the sentiment of the Greek Islands,” 
was that he had visited Greece two years before, in 1809. 

I have many of his sketches bearing indisputable evidence of having been 
made on the spot, and they are all dated 1809. 

Moreover, Turner made a second visit to Greece in the early months of 
1844, going also to Constantinople, Persia, and Palestine. 


“This (a sketch-book used by Turner during his tour in Scotland and the 
north of England in 18or) is almost the only sketch-book which Turner allowed 
to be dispersed; the others he kept intact, and in his own possession till hts death, 


after which they passed to the National Gallery.” A. J. FINBERG, 1923. 


To the facts: at least two of Turner’s sketch-books, together with some 
hundreds of detached leaves from others, passed from Turner’s hands to 
those of his friends and patrons, John and Charles Landseer. I have them all. 

Five of Turner’s sketch-books were formerly in the possession of Lady 
Maria Leicester. They were probably purchased from Turner by his patron 
Sir John Fleming Leicester and presented to his wife. They are now in my 
collection. 

I also possess more than twenty other Turner sketch-books which are 
filled with his drawings, “done direct from nature.’ Some have labels on 
the covers in Turner’s characteristic handwriting. | 

Every drawing and sketch in the thirty or more volumes bears Turner’s 
hidden signature and date, and a large proportion of them bear my own 
marks, indicating where the signatures and dates may be found. 


59 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


TA APNGARARRARASNRANGA NAA NAA NAA NWP NE NESE SER SER SPA SRA SAA ANA ANAS NANA NA NPR WA NAPS RDARDERDBR DARA NAANASNA PNA NAP NAL NUAN WP RUERERUPRDPRDPADBAMASNNANNANUANUA NAS Naf NUP NMPRMFRUPRA PRD MRAPRAMAARRANES! 


“Turner's early work, apart from his earliest exhibited pictures, ts of the 
greatest possible value to the art student, and will teach him how and why the 
boy who did such work became the mighty painter that he was.” 


C. A. SWINBURNE. 


There are those to whom the inspection, acquirement, and enjoyment of 
a fine Turner drawing is the “‘be all, end all,” of art appreciation. That 
indicates wisdom and good taste, but there is something from which even 
greater pleasure may be derived. 

Study Turner’s drawings and sketches chronologically, from his early 
boyhood days to those of his old age, and you will find nothing more absorb- 
ingly interesting. 

My collection contains over 200 of his drawings made before he at- 
tained the age of sixteen, including the six earliest ones known. 

Mr. Swinburne was correct in his statement that they are of the greatest 
possible value to the student. 


“T believe that there are certain men who would rather possess a fine Turner 


”» 
water-colour than any other work of art. G Lewis ie 


In England, one has not only the privilege of viewing the remarkable 
Turner collection in the National Gallery, but there are also numerous mu- 
seums and art galleries in London, and other cities, where good Turner 
water-colours may be studied and enjoyed. It is not strange, therefore, that 
in England there are certain men who with all the world’s art to choose 
from, give loving preference to a Turner water-colour. They have had oppor- 
tunity to become acquainted with them. 

In America, on the contrary, Turner’s art is represented almost exclu- 
sively in the museums and galleries by oil-paintings and the “Liber Studi- 
orum” plates. Fine water-colours by Turner are conspicuous by their ab- 
sence. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York does not possess a 
single drawing. It is time that Americans became acquainted with the 
water-colour work of England’s greatest landscape-painter, without the 
necessity of making a visit to London. It was the medium over which Tur- 
ner had perfect control, and with which he wrought miracles of loveliness. 
He stands in a class by himself in water-colour painting, and all others are 
judged according to their measure of approach to his excellence. 


60 








DUCK SHOOTING, 1842 
Original, width 10% inches by height 7 inches 








SALTRAM HOUSE, DEVON, 1828 
Original, width 9 inches by height 6 inches 


BY WAY OF COMMENT 


“The water-colour of “Woodcock Shooting’ (painted for Sir H. Pilkington, 
and dated 1813), now in the Wallace Collection.” A. J. FINBERG. 


Were it not for the indisputable evidence of this and other equally well- 
known specimens, it might be difficult to convince even experts and authori- 
ties—to say nothing of mere ordinary persons—that Turner painted sport- 
ing scenes and subjects. My collection contains a dozen of them. One is 
reproduced herewith. 


“These which now follow are drawings showing the kind of work he did for 
the pleasure of English gentlemen, in the representation of their houses. He 
visited much at this time: was of course always kindly treated, and did his 
utmost to please his hosts by faithful and lovely drawings of their houses.” 

JOHN RUSKIN. 


It is to be regretted that, with few exceptions, the names of the houses 
and their owners are not appended. 

In Cyrus Redding’s “Recollections” an account is given of his journey- 
ings in Devonshire, in company with Turner. 

They were entertained at Saltram House by Lord Boringdon (afterwards 
Earl of Morley), had dinner there, and spent the night. 

The illustration presented herewith is a view of this house by Turner, 
made from his water-colour sketch in my collection. 


61 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


VAD AUAUAUALALALALALM MMM a aaa aA AAA ALA aaa AI ALIAL TALIA ATi ii TARA IATIATIATIAT IAT Til Tall Pal bITa ATT ATTA 


“ Turner makes tt clear that he loved water-colour for its own sake as he never 
loved oil. He nursed tt, dexterously behandled it, watched its symptoms, and 
corrected its weaknesses, like a mother with her child, until at last he moulded 
it into the finest possible instrument for the use to which he put it, an instrument 
having, indeed, no defect but that curse of mortality which it shares with us all.” 


SIR WALTER ARMSTRONG. 


This appreciative tribute to Turner’s love for water-colour as a medium 
is frequently quoted by me to friends who ask why I chose to collect his 
water-colours in preference to his oils. They are better to live with, and 
represent him at his best. 


“The drawings in the Farnley ‘Hall Book of Birds, as well as other 
scattered examples, have only been surpassed by Diirer and Rembrandt in such 
renowned masterpieces as the ‘Hare’ at Vienna, and the ‘ Bittern’ at Dresden.” 

Cc. F, BELT: 


I have examined the beautiful drawings of birds in the Farnley Hall 
Collection, and add my testimony to that of many others as to the wonder- 
ful. workmanship displayed by the artist. 

The statement has been made that Turner drew dead birds only. This 
is incorrect. I have many live birds drawn by him, and they are of many 
species. 


“The horses seem to me to be by Sawrey Gilpin, the foreground and lana- 


> »” 
scape alone being by Turner. A. J. FINBERG. 


This refers to a “Group of Horses in Windsor Park,” a water-colour, 
about 21 x 29 inches, which is in the National Gallery Collection. Its assumed 
date is 1800-1802. 

One does not need to possess much “horse sense”’ to figure out the prob- 
ability of this drawing being entirely the work of either Turner or Gilpin, 
but to suggest that Turner would divide work and honours with any other 
artist, at this or any other period of his mature life, places a heavy strain 
on one’s credulity. 

We can well imagine the reception which would await the artist who 
approached Turner personally with such a proposition! 


62 


os 
2 


+e 











TURKISH FIGURES ON LEAF OF SKETCH-BOOK, 1844 
Original, width 9 inches by height 6 inches 











THE KNIFE GRINDER, 1829 


Original, width 9 inches by height to inches 


BY WAY OF COMMENT 


PRIN UINWENGEN YEN DPN APABNISN ANNAN ESPNLANGANLLN GPR U EN ENDER SER GFN IHN ABN DINAMAPSRPNAINA ANNAN APN UPN URGE NSN APR BN AMR AMA DIN ANA AMAIA PNAS NAN Nu FNMA SERSEASPASEA SPA SNR ANA ANN Af Nef Buh e PARE 


“Turner could draw very small figures very well, giving more spirit and 
essence than any other artist, in a touch. He could imitate a shamble, a strut, a 
march, lassitude, confidence, and physical or mental quality of a figure as easily 


” 
as he could a bough or a cloud. Losey ea 


I offer as illustrations, in confirmation of Mr. Cosmo Monkhouse’s state- 
ment, a leaf from Turner’s Constantinople sketch-book, 1844. In the draw- 
ing of the human figure Turner was a master, when he chose to be. 


“ The beauty of Turner’s pencil drawings has never been enough emphasised. 
They are the most wonderful landscape drawings for truth and direct inter- 
pretation of nature that exist, and as they were nearly always done out-of-doors, 
on the spot, are of espectal value as expressing Turner’s thoughts in nature’s own 


»” 
presence. SIR CHARLES HOLROYD. 


The example presented for reproduction bears convincing testimony to 
the truth of Sir Charles’s statement. Why is it that the National Gallery has 
never given the public an opportunity to view a collection of the best and 
most characteristic examples of Turner’s pencil drawings? 

Turner was evidently in accord with J. D. Harding’s statement that “the 
lead-pencil is the most valuable instrument in Art.” 

A large proportion of Turner’s water-colours still show traces of the pencil 
lines beneath. 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


AAT Meee RIAA AAALAC aa AIALTALIATIAL IATA i PTL el ATTA TAL IATA IAT UT il Yk Pik Yl dal al al Ca AAT TA Tia Pid Pla Pil 


“The lofty hill (Ben Voirloch, in Scotland) has all the appearance of a burn- 
ing mountain. All the northwestern sky is now such a sight to see that no brush 
of any painter could do justice to it, now that the immortal Turner is no longer 


”> 
on earth. GORDON STABLES. 


Turner was no longer on earth to paint Ben Voirloch, as Dr. Stables saw 
it, but in 1824 he viewed the same magnificent effect at Loch Sunart, near 
Oban, and made a water-colour sketch of it, which is now in my possession. 

On one of our numerous Turner pilgrimages, my wife and I enjoyed the 
privilege of witnessing this same striking effect, on the same mountain peaks 
so graphically portrayed by the artist. 


“ The difficulties were immense, owing to the almost entire absence of reliable 
. . . y »” 
chronological information as to Turner’s movements. ¢. LEWIS HIND. 


“Reliable chronological information as to Turner’s movements” can be 
obtained from only one source—his signed and dated drawings and sketches 
—and even then many blank spaces will need to be filled in. 

Until it is definitely recognised that the National Gallery Collection con- 
tains only about one-half of Turner’s drawings and sketches, there can be 
no proper working basis for an understanding of the quantity and variety 
of his output, nor definite knowledge of his numerous journeys both in his 
own country and in foreign lands. 


“It 1s very doubtful whether all these drawings (‘Studies from the Nude’) 
are by Turner.” A. J. FINBERG. 


The drawings referred to, eleven in number (size about 14 x 20 in.), are 
in the National Gallery Collection. An additional number are in my own 
possession, coming to me from the Landseer family. Mine are by Turner, and 
bear his hidden signatures and dates. 

Any doubt which exists regarding those mentioned by Mr. Finberg, in 
his “Inventory,” could be definitely settled in short order by means of a 
close examination. If Turner made them, he surely signed and dated them. 

The National Gallery possesses about a dozen other examples, of smaller 
size, regarding the authenticity of which no question seems to have been 
raised. 


64 





sayout 6 yySiay Aq sayour C1 YyIpIM “JeuIsUG 


6VOl *SaIVM NI SOVLLOO 





BY WAY OF COMMENT 


tA PNDPNGPNAPNASNESNASNANNANSINGAN ENGIN GEN GEN GEN APNG INABNABNANNANNAINANNAN RENNIN NN UP NUENEAN GAN PN AMNABNDBNAMEDIODNN SINAN ANUS WAN WENGE APNG EN GENER ABN ABN ARN MNANNA NNN N/N AN Nu Pua RAPD GPRS RA DAY, 


“The cottages painted by the greatest artists are often decidedly less pictur- 
esque than those of inferior men, and, indeed, the devotion to the Ultra-pictur- 


as is 
esque 1s invariably the sign of a second-rate intelligence. PEC AIER TOR 


The example of Turner’s work here reproduced is a testimony to the 
soundness of Mr. Hamerton’s criticism. The drawing was made in the later 
years of his life (1849), and bears his inscription on the back, “‘ Cottage near 
Bettwys-y-Coed.” 

Ten or fifteen years earlier, Turner, in painting this same cottage, would 
probably have laid himself open to rebuke from Mr. Hamerton because of 
its u/tra-picturesqueness. Fortunately, he postponed its making long enough 
to escape being designated as the possessor of a “‘second-rate intelligence.” 

If Turner saw picturesque elements in a scene, whether cottage, castle, or 
cathedral, they went into his picture without regard to any criticism they 
might evoke. He was a truth-teller, and made faithful records of what he 
saw, but he was not a photographer. 

The cottage, as he depicted it, really existed, even though a sun-picture 
might reveal its want of conformity to the exact details of locality and con- 
struction. 

Of the many drawings I possess of cottages by Turner, I chose this one 
as being the farthest removed from the stigma of “‘ultra-picturesque.”’ 


“Turner's journeys this year (1795) were mainly confined to portions of the 
coast-line, to the Isle of Wight, and the south coast of Wales.” J. FINBERG. 


As regards the Isle of Wight, I am of opinion that this journey was made 
in 1808, and not 1795, as stated. My main reasons for so believing are as 
follows: 

1. The evidence is abundant, and seems to be conclusive, that Turner 
passed the entire year of 1795 in the English lake district. The complete 
series of drawings which he made on that initial visit to the lakes, together 
with those made in the two following years, formed part of the collection of 
Sir Wilfrid Lawson, and they are now in my possession. They total nearly 
400 in number, and are signed “‘J. W. Turner.” He also wrote the title on 
the margin of every one of the drawings. 

2. I have carefully examined the sketches in the Isle of Wight book in 
the Tate Gallery (XXIV), and find that they all bear Turner’s hidden sig- 
nature and the date of 1808, the year in which the visit was really made. 

I am prepared to designate the exact place on every one of the sketches 
where the signatures and dates may be found. 


65 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


AAAS AAAs ee aaa AAA Aaa aa aa aaa AAA Ti TTT el tel a RAAT AT IATIALATIAT IAT tid VOLT Tl al RTPA TAAL Ar iAy 


“At least nine of Turner’s drawings have faded in some perceptible degree 


Pca tein aaa arches 
for every one which ts still in tts pristine condition.” 3p watrTER ARMSTRONG. 


When we read Mr. Ruskin’s description of the condition of the National 
Gallery drawings as he found them after Turner’s death, we cannot believe 
that Sir Walter’s statement is overdrawn. 

Fortunately, there are scarcely a dozen in my entire collection showing 
even slight signs of having faded, doubtless due to their having been secured 
mainly from private families, where they were carefully preserved in books 
and portfolios. 


“Unfortunately, Turner very rarely signed his drawings, etc.” 
WILLIAM WHITE. 


We respectfully submit a new reading of the above: Fortunately, Turner 
always signed (and dated) his drawings, etc. 

It is probable that the only drawings of Turner’s to which he openly 
affixed his signature were those made for Mr. Fawkes of Farnley Hall. 

Turner was doubtless requested to sign them by Mr. Fawkes, and the 
artist could scarcely be expected to refuse so reasonable a request from his 
best patron. 


“Every quarter of an inch of Turner's drawings will bear magnifying; and 
much of the finer work in them can hardly be traced, except by the keenest sight, 
until it 1s magnified. ; 

“In his painting ‘Ivy Bridge’ the veins are drawn on the wings of a butter- 
fly not above three lines in diameter; and I have one of his smaller drawings of 
Scarborough in my own possession in which the mussel-shells on the beach are 
rounded, some shown as shut, some as open, though none are as large as the 
letters of this type; and yet this is the man who was thought to belong to the 
‘dashing’ school, literally because most people had not patience or delicacy of 


sight enough to trace his endless details.” JOHN RUSKIN. 


If the use of magnifying-glasses was advocated by Mr. Ruskin as neces- 
sary for a proper discernment of Turner’s marvellously delicate and minute 
work, they will be found equally serviceable—if not more so—in revealing 
his hidden signatures and dates. 


66 





sayoul g aysiay Aq sayout Ir YIpIM “feulsiG 


QT8I SANVIAUI SAUANAOS NIVLNAOW ANV UFTAIU 











BY WAY OF COMMENT 


SANRENCENWIN NANA NUENWENGINDENGINGENGPNABADTNANAA SND NAA NAL VAD NAP NAP NGPNAENDPADENGINAAN SMA INADIADNNA NAA NGP NAA NP NP NaF Nu NUP RUPNU ANSP SPAZIRIMAAMAANA/ NA NAP NAS NaN OuP NUP AY NSPS BRS RAY NAMA MASA A MS 


“ But Ireland, Mr. Moore, Ireland! I have often longed to go to that country, 
but am, I confess, afraid to venture myself there.” 
J. M. W. TURNER TO THOMAS MOORE. 


David Roberts and others have spoken of the pleasure Turner enjoyed in 
mystifying his friends and throwing them off the scent. This is a notable 
instance. 

When Turner made this remark to Moore he had already made six visits 
to Ireland: one in 1798, the others in 1809, 1810, 1812, 1817, and 1826. He 
made still another in 1845. 

The drawings and sketches covering these visits are in my collection. 
One is reproduced herewith. 


“Turner would draw anything that came in his way.” 
P. G. HAMERTON. 


It would be difficult to mention anything that he did not draw. I have 
a list of 200 subjects, other than landscape, that he drew or sketched, and 
it cannot be regarded as exhaustive. 

Did space allow, the list would be appended as an interesting exhibit. 


“I would rather have half the drawings of Turner than the whole of his oil- 


Che ”» 
parniings. JOHN RUSKIN TO P. G. HAMERTON. 


No more striking tribute could be paid to the primacy of Turner in the 
field of water-colour painting than this. 

The thought of monetary values did not enter into Mr. Ruskin’s calcu- 
lations, and his criterion was Art in its inherent quality alone. 

It is a safe prediction that should a vote be taken on the subject among 
those most competent to decide such a question, Mr. Ruskin’s judgment 
would be almost unanimously sustained. 

In the realm of oil painting there are a number who might reasonably 
dispute Turner’s leadership, but it is universally conceded that in water- 
colour painting he stands supreme and unrivalled. 


67 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


SATA A ATA L i Ta a aa al aaa AAA Arai id i a AAAS TATA IAAI al il Poel hl RAAT ATA iA Pil td Pid Pid Pl Pa Pr bl Td 


“Mark the range of the drawings and sketches by Turner in the National 
Gallery, and you will realise that the whole world was his province.” 


C. LEWIS HIND. 


Subject only to necessary limitations of time and space, Turner was a 
world-traveller. Not only did he visit every county in England, Wales, and 
Scotland, and a large number of those in Ireland, but, incidentally, he took 
in the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, and the Isle of Skye. 

Of foreign countries, he visited France, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, 
Sweden, Russia, Poland, Bohemia, Germany, Austria, Italy, Sicily, Swit- 
zerland, Greece (including Corfu), Albania, Turkey in Europe, Turkey in 
Asia, Palestine, Egypt, Persia, Spain, Portugal, Madeira, Canary Isles, 
Algeria, Corsica, Minorca, Majorca, Malta, Dalmatia, and Sardinia. 

As to subject variety, it would be difficult to name anything that Turner 
did not, at some period of his career, either draw or paint. Nothing was 
considered too trivial for his pencil or brush—nothing too great. I have his 
drawing of a lead-pencil. Near by is his large and striking representation of 
Taormina, in Sicily. 

He was equally at home in the delineations of still life, interiors, por- 
traits, costumes, architecture, animals, caricatures, birds, fishes, butterflies, 
hunting scenes, illumination, flowers, living models, comic sketches, book 
illustrations, and many others, besides every conceivable variety of land- 
scape and marine painting. 

Mr. Hind’s statement is in no way overdrawn. The whole world was 
Turner’s province. 


“On the face of it, the idea of Turner’s life having been a sad one is an 
absurdity. Every man takes his pleasure where he finds it; what but joy, intense 
love, and delight could have been in the man’s soul who through long years 
wandered over Europe in all weathers, conscious of the supreme gift of artistic 
genius, pouring himself out in his matchless drawings in never-ending fulness 
and versatility. . 

“No doubt if any of us were allowed to take Turner's imagination on trial 
for a week we should ask for no better companionship for the remainder of 


“| »> 
our lives. J. E. HODGSON, R. A. 


I had intended making comment on the statement of some one of the 
“Jeremiahs” who have poured out their sympathy for Turner so freely, 
because of his lonely and unhappy life. Mr. Hodgson anticipated me in 
showing the fallacy of any such view-point, and demonstrated it much more 
effectively than I could have done. 


68 








YORK CATHEDRAL, 1843 


Original, width 5 inches by height 7 inches 


BY WAY OF COMMENT 


AONAPNDINADNISNENNENNINNANNENNANINGINGENGENGPNGPNGPNGENAPNSFNSBRDBNITNATAANG ANNAN INGANUPNG PNG ENUPNUPNUFNGPNSPRGPR AN IANSBRATODTNSMNISA DINING AMAA PN UPN UP NGF N PNG FRYPNSAN DBR JBOARN ZT STNSNA AAAI 


“ Turner had at this time (1840) quite lost the power of painting architectural 
detail, and his feeling for Gothic Architecture had never, at any period of his life, 


” 
been true. JOHN RUSKIN. 


If Mr. Ruskin, when he referred to the “painting” of architectural detail, 
meant to include drawing also, he was sadly out of his reckoning. 

The remarkable drawing of York Cathedral, from which the accompany- 
ing reproduction was made, bears Turner’s date of 1843. One might well be 
pardoned for mistaking it for an engraving. 

It refutes Mr. Ruskin’s statement most convincingly. 

Barring the 1842 series of Swiss drawings, Mr. Ruskin seems to have been 
strangely uninformed regarding the work and whereabouts of Turner for the 
last ten years of his life. He believed that Turner’s last visit to the Continent 
was in 1843, while he made at least a half-dozen subsequent visits; he named 
1845 as the year of Turner’s “breakdown,” while it was really 1849; at the 
time when, according to Mr. Ruskin, Turner had “quite lost the power of 
painting (or drawing) architectural detail,” he was making hundreds of 
drawings and sketches which, when called to the attention of talented archi- 
tects of to-day, evoke their admiration and enthusiasm. 

Mrs. Wheeler, who was intimately acquainted with Turner for sixty 

years, made this statement: “I have often heard Turner say that if he 
could begin life again he would rather be an architect than a painter.” 

Independent of his masterly work in that line, Turner’s remark, as quoted 
by Mrs. Wheeler, would be sufficient to indicate his great interest in archi- 
tecture. 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


PATIATIAIArIAr iA tilt id lel tel el ee ee aA AAA iA i i ee ee ee eal eae aaa ee ee ee ie ell el 


“These indications (records of ‘ordered drawings’ from private patrons) 
suggest that the drawings in these volumes were not made entirely for the artist’ s 


Li >? 
own use and enjoyment. A. J. FINBERG. 


How quickly and easily the problem could be solved, if Mr. Finberg and 
other writers on Turner would but realise that not only “the drawings in 
these volumes,’ but thousands more, including sketches, passed from the 
artist’s own hands to those of his numerous patrons, and that the National 
Gallery contains only a fraction of his work—much the largest, but far 
from the whole of it. 


“Latterly, in the names and even the subjects of his pictures he sought to 
puzzle and tease the public. His charitable intentions were mysterious; his 
residence was a mystery; where he had been to, where he was going to, and what 
he intended to do, were all mysteries; and so powerful was this habit of reserve 
that I have no doubt that Turner died actually rejoicing in the fact that even his 


° G ” 
best friends knew not where he lay hid. WALTES Taare 


“Turner's life partook of the character of his works; it was mysterious, and 
nothing seemed so much to please him as to try to puzzle you, or to make you 


. > 
think so. DAVID ROBERTS. 


The same notes have been sounded in many keys. Turner’s love of mys- 
tery and his possession of an abnormally secretive nature cannot be denied 
(save by some word-juggler), as the evidence is conclusive. It is an estab- 
lished fact, and, as such, is entitled to universal acceptance. 

But “human nature is human nature.” Let one but announce the fact, 
as I do now, that this same “‘mystery-man”’ placed his hidden signature and 
the date on every drawing and sketch that he ever made, and immediately 
there are cries of “‘impossible,” “unreasonable,” “‘incredible,” and the like. 

Happily, however, this attitude of mind is assumed almost exclusively 
by a limited number who labour under the mistaken impression that be- 
cause of such a discovery, their individual work and reputation are affected. 

It is as unreasonable as the former opposition of the working man to the 
introduction of newly invented labour-saving devices and machinery—and 
as futile. 


7° 





sayout Fr 3YysIay Aq SoyoUT 17 YIPIM “[VUIsIIG 


TVQI SANVIUAZLIMS ‘NOHL 10 ANVT 





BY WAY OF COMMENT 


NAPNGPNAENAPNAPNAPNAPNANLANNENNANNENSINGAYNEN ALN L NUL GFNUENAPNAPNIPASBNISN AND SADNNANAANAP NEP NOP NUP NUANAFNGENGPNDPAAPAAMNSMAD®NS IOS SNAANPN AANA NAP NP NAP NAP NUE N GFA PNGARGENDPRAMASPA ZEN DMAP IAS SAS IOAN 


“The work of the first five years of the decade (1840-1845) is in many 


ae Seheys 
respects supremely, and with reviving power, beautiful. JOHN RUSKIN. 


A fine and unrecorded specimen of Turner’s art of that period, answer- 
ing in every way to Mr. Ruskin’s characterisation (Switzerland, 1842), is in 
the collection of Rev. Dr. S. Parkes Cadman, and he has most courteously 
granted me the privilege of reproducing it in this volume. 


“The work (‘Picturesque Views in England and Wales’) remains a frag- 
ment. But when we patch together all Turner’s fragments of this kind, if even 
then they do not prove a whole, they afford a wealth of illustration of British 
scenery such as has hardly entered into the waking dreams of any other artist.” 


J. E. PHYTHIAN. 


> 


In Mr. Huish’s outline map of “Turner’s Haunts” in Great Britain, 
based on the drawings in the National Gallery Collection, he was able to 
record the artist’s visits to 339 places. It is likely that from my own collection 
of Turner’s drawings and sketches an equal number could be added. Com- 
bined, what a basis they would have proved for either publication or exhibi- 
tion! 


“Possibly the only evidence of Turner’s having visited foreign parts in any 


) . . ° ° »”? 
particular year 1s to be found in his pictures. R. CHIGNELL. 


Mr. Chignell evidently intended that we should depend on the subject or 
place represented, as indicating the year in which the picture was made. 

There is a far better and a surer way. Every drawing and sketch by 
Turner bears somewhere on its face the date of its execution, placed there 
by the artist himself at the time he made it. 

It is possible, therefore, to obtain exact information not only of the years 
of Turner’s travels in “foreign parts” but also of those in his own country, 
which he so dearly loved and so thoroughly explored. 


G3 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


PIMAPLLV IAT in Pid Vial Vil Vel Cal tal Ut Pa LL A LL A ATATIALIATIALIAL IA i Pitti til Cel Cel el aA AA a AACA hee aA bk taka ele 


“The book (indorsed by Turner, ‘South Wales—Mon, (Monmouthshire)) 
was used in 1795, the same year as the Isle of Wight drawings.” 


A. J. FINBERG. 


It has already been shown that the journey to the Isle of Wight was made 
in 1808 and not 1795. 

The visit to South Wales, so interestingly and fully described by Mr. 
Finberg in his articles in the publications of the Walpole Society, was not 
made in 1795, but in the same year, 1808. 

Turner passed the whole of the year 1795 in the English lake district, 
and I possess virtually his entire output of that visit. It is impossible to 
believe that the touch, essential to the making of the South Wales sketches, 
was possessed by the twenty-year-old Turner who made the tinted drawings 
of the English lakes. The Turner of 1795, as shown in the lake drawings, 
was slowly emancipating himself from the topographical or “mappy”’ style 
of art, and the delicate handling of the pencil and brush seen in the South 
Wales drawings was a development of a later period. 

It may be claimed that the dual reproductions of the original sketch and 
finished drawing of Llandaff Cathedral in the Walpole Society publication 
(the latter said to have been exhibited in 1796) prove my statement to be 
incorrect. 

Any one sufficiently interested to do so may examine both the sketch and 
the drawing in the Tate Gallery, and he will find on them Turner’s hidden 
signature and his date of 1808. On the sketch it will be found on the two 
smaller parallel lines to the left of and above the window-arch—the date 
in the upper one, the signature in the lower. 

On the drawing it will be found on the black head of the woman dancing 
(left one of group). The signature is made in two lines: the initials above and 
“Turner” beneath. 

It is true that a drawing of Llandaff was exhibited in 1796, but it was un- 
doubtedly one made on the occasion of a previous visit. Turner was in Wales 
In 1791, 1792, 1793, and 1794. 

Moreover, the hidden signature of Turner and his date of 1808 can be 
found on every one of the nineteen drawings of the South Wales sketch-book 
in the Tate Gallery. I have located them, and am prepared to name the 
exact places where they are. The signatures and dates may be found also 
on the reproductions appearing in the volumes of the Walpole Society. 

Incidentally, I may state that the drawings of Canterbury Cathedral 
and Allington Castle were not made in 1798, but a quarter of a century later 
—in 1823—and are so dated by Turner himself. The dates may be readily 
found on both originals and reproductions. 


72 





sayoul 6 YSIay Aq SdYyOUL TI YIPIM “[VUISIIG 


64g1 ‘saIVM SAAGAV ATIVA SIONUOS 





BY WAY OF COMMENT 


PN GPNAPRAPRAPRAENAIN ANN AINAIND SN ANUANU ANT NUP NUN UPN P RSPR MER APRS ER SER AIN ARR SIN AIRANAANLPNA ANU ANU ENV PN UPN VENUE N UPN R SPR AMRAMRSMRORAPSR PIAA APNE IUPUI APNE N PNR P NUON PNP N DPR AER ABA AMR ANNAN ASN 


The drawing of Christ Church, Oxford, bears the date of 1824; also easily 
discernible to any student of Turner’s work blessed with normal eyesight. 

Apparently the economical Turner used the blank leaves of his sketch- 
book of 1808 for those few later drawings of 1823 and 1824. 


“Turner was great as an artist, in spite of all (decline of his powers), up to 


the day of his death. ROBERT CHIGNELL. 


The water-colour drawing, reproduced herewith, bears Turner’s hidden 
signature and date (1849). 
The following appears on the back of the drawing in Turner’s hand- 
writing: 
“Crucis Abbey, Wales. 
Sketched and drawn at the age of 76.” 


This is not the only instance of Turner’s having laid claim to 1773 as the 
year of his birth. Whether true or not, he evidently believed that to be the 
date. 

The drawing must have appealed to him as good for a man of seventy- 
six, or he would not have made the statement. 

I possess other drawings made by Turner in Wales this same year (1849); 
also, a painting in oil of Tintern Village. 


“Tf only we had good reproductions of all of Turner's drawings and sketches, 
what a pleasure we should all have, and how we should learn to appreciate his 
greatness! I should like to see every fragment before the public.” 


SIR CHARLES HOLROYD. 


Many illustrated works on Turner have been published, but, with few 
exceptions, the illustrations contained in them are duplications of what, by 
reason of repetition, has become trite. 

When will some enterprising publisher issue a series of volumes devoted 
exclusively to photographic reproductions of the large number of beautiful 
drawings by Turner which have not hitherto been brought to public notice? 

Art at its highest expression, by one of its chief exponents, and a novelty 
withal! 


18) 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


SINAN WANING NEN WENGER GEN GEN GEN PNUENSPNBNASNDSNATAISA PINNING LNAI PNG PN UN UEN GPR GR ZBNAPRAANBNAMRANNAMA ASR INAZIN ANUP NUNN LNW P UPN UP NUP GRIFF ANABAA ARAMA ASIA SIA NEMS Nu Nuh Ne Nu ule 


“It would take a lifetime to follow the vicissitudes of all Turner’s water- 
colours; when they were painted, and where they are to-day.” 
C. LEWIS HIND. 


My estimate of the time required for such a task differs somewhat from 
that of Mr. Hind. 

It would not be possible to follow all the various changes of ownership, 
and that phase of the subject would have to be eliminated. 

The only way by which it can be definitely and surely ascertained when 
Turner painted his water-colours is an examination of the drawings them- 
selves. Every one of them bears a date, but it calls for the exercise of good 
eyesight, strong glasses, and unlimited patience. 

It is a comparatively easy proposition to find out where they are to-day. 
Combine the National Gallery Collection, Mr. Edward Dillon’s list, as given 
in Sir Walter Armstrong’s work, and the Anderson Collection, and little 
else remains. 

In my opinion the work could be done in a few years, and the results 
would prove commensurate with the time and labour expended. 


“ These drawings (Continental series of 1802) had all been purchased from 
Turner and mounted, in a more orderly fashion than, as far as I know, he ever 
achieved in business of this kind, in a large folio volume. The title was, how- 
ever, written beneath each subject in Turner’s hand, and in Turner’s French. 

“The volume had come to sale, and been bought back by Turner; it retains 
still its auction ticket.” 

RUSKIN, IN HIS CATALOGUE OF SKETCHES AND DRAWINGS BY TURNER, 
EXHIBITED AT MARLBOROUGH HOUSE, 1857-1858. 


What happened in that particular case, so clearly and circumstantially 
related by Mr. Ruskin, has happened many times since Turner’s death, 
when volumes similar to that above described have come into the market 
and been purchased by me. 

My collection contains possibly twenty-five such volumes, every draw- 
ing and sketch in them being the work of Turner. Some titles are in Turner’s 
French, others in Turner’s Italian, but they are mainly in English, in 
Turner’s characteristic handwriting. 

Many similar volumes were made up by Turner himself, and on the 
covers of these he usually placed his signature. I possess a number of them. 


74 








HEAD OF THE CHRIST, 1843 


Original, width 8 inches by height g inches 


BY WAY OF COMMENT 


PIATIAT Tid Cll tee Cl aA ALTA IALIALIALIAL IAA TiAl Til vl tel el aCe TAAL AIALIATIALIALIALIAL ULL ATlt i Clee TATRA ALAA ALIA CAR Ube lek ek ial i ek es Le 


c< = >? 
Turner was a sceptic. P. G. HAMERTON. 


A loose statement, and one that can easily be disproved. 

Out of the abundance of evidence in my own possession alone—pictorial 
and written—showing the fallacy of Mr. Hamerton’s statement, I submit 
the following, in Turner’s own words: 

On August 6, 1839, he visited the church and monastery at Altdorf, in 
Switzerland. He writes: “Entered a small chapel underground, many wor- 
shippers; and a wooden ass, part of the procession with a man to personate 
our Saviour on its back, at certain holy festivals.” 

On September 29, 1850, he wrote to a nephew as follows: “He who made 
the world is no utilitarian, no despiser of the fine arts, no condemner of or- 
nament, and those religionists who seek to restrain everything within the 
limits of cold, dare utility do not imitate our Father in Heaven.” 

The reverential treatment accorded his drawing of the head of Christ 
(copied), also in my collection, makes it impossible to believe that the artist 
was a sceptic. 


He] 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


WENDENDENAPNAPNANNTSNLSNLSNLNNANNENGL NAD N ALN GENGENGPNGNGPRGPNGPRDENDBADEADBADNAANN ENGAGE NGL NAA NUP AUP NUPNYPA GPA GPA GPA SEAS ERS ANI END MADMAPNAP NAA NAS Va NW PREP DPN DPAYPADARUAA PRA SMA SNARES NASM AS Na Ned SY 


“Scott's mind failed slowly, by almost imperceptible degrees; Turner’s sud- 


denly, with snap of some vital cord, in 1845.” JOHN RUSKIN. 


It will be generally admitted that this drawing, made by Turner in 1849, 
is fairly good work for a man whose mind had failed, due to the “snap of 
some vital cord!” 

After a close study of the large number of Turner’s drawings in my col- 
lection, representing his work from 1845 to the end of his career, I am led to 
the conclusion that deterioration did not set in, nor become apparent, before 
1847 at least, and that his art was not seriously affected before the later 
months of 1849. 


“To any one familiar with his work in water-colour, it is generally easy to 


et aS 
date his drawings within a year or two. W. G. RAWLINSON. 


Rather strongly put. Many will be inclined to disagree with Mr. Rawlin- 
son’s statement. 

My opinion is that dates on the very early and very late drawings could 
be so determined, but that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to name 
anything but approximate dates to most of those of his middle-life period, 
say 1820-1840. 

Incidentally, I may add that every drawing in Mr. Rawlinson’s own col- 
lection contains its exact date, placed there by Turner himself. No surmise 
is necessary. 


“Turner can never be appreciated nor admired, except by delicately refined 


. ° »”) 
and highly educated minds. CHARLES HENRY HART: 


Most flattering to those who have appreciated and admired Turner’s 
art, but the statement is incorrect. It does not take into account the ex- 
traordinary variety of Turner’s work. For every example like “Ulysses 
Deriding Polyphemus,” he painted and drew hundreds of charming land- 
scapes, which are easily understood and make the strongest appeal to the 
eye, mind, and heart of all who see them. 


76 








TURNER WITH THE SIMCOE FAMILY VA WwW OL ORD es lOD G Ene > PavaOiuNre 1843 
Original, width 11% inches by height 9 inches 





CHURCH ON MOUNTAINSIDE AT FUNCHAL, MADEIRA, 1846 


Original, width 11 inches by height 8 inches 


BY WAY OF COMMENT 


TONAPNDPNARNASRANAENEPNNA NAN UP NGA N UP NUP NUP NUPNUPRUPNPRIPRABNAMNDMRAMRDNA DNAS IAS NAS NAS NA Nu MUP NUP NUP NUPRUANGANDPRYPRSRADMAPASMASIAANAS NAAN AP NUL NPN uP NWP NUP AU PRIPAGPRSPNYAN DMA DIRATA SIAR Nh Mier 


“ Turner returned again and again to the Lake of Lucerne, which, after York- 
shire, was probably, up to the last, of all places in the world the dearest to his 


”> 
heart. W. G. RAWLINSON. 


This statement would be literally correct if for the words “the Lake of 
Lucerne” the word “Devonshire” were substituted. 

Turner loved Lucerne and its surroundings because they presented such 
great possibilities for the exercise of his art. He loved Devonshire as he 
loved Yorkshire, because he was not only in a beautiful country but also a 
welcome inmate of a happy home among congenial friends. 

He had no rich patron there, as in Yorkshire, but his many sketches, 
made in Devon, indicate a loving intimacy that was of the same order as 
that he enjoyed with the Fawkes family at Farnley Hall. 

The sketch reproduced shows a portion of the grounds at Wolford, with 
members of the Simcoe family, Turner himself appearing among them in- 
dulging in his favorite pastime, angling. 


“I cannot believe them to be by Turner. No mention of a visit to Madeira is 


. @ > 
made by any of his biographers. STRICHART ES HOLES 


This remark was made to me by Sir Charles at the National Gallery in 
1921. 

I had shown him a book containing eighteen water-colour sketches of 
Madeira and the Canary Islands, by Turner, covering a visit made by him 
in 1846. Incidentally, the titles are all in Turner’s characteristic handwrit- 
ing, and the sketches bear both his hidden signatures and dates. 

I had read all the biographies and was thoroughly aware of the fact that 
not only was no mention made in them of any visit to Madeira but also that 
all writers on Turner have deplored their inability to frame an adequate 
itinerary of Turner’s travels because of his sudden and mysterious disap- 
pearances from home, covering months at a time, when even his most in- 
timate friends were not informed of either his departure, whereabouts, or 
doings, nor did he vouchsafe any information to them after his return. 

It merely happens to be one of the many events in Turner’s career which 
escaped the attention of his biographers, and was discovered by me. During 
this same tour Turner visited Gibraltar and Algeria. I have a number of 
his drawings of these places, signed and dated. One of his Madeira sketches 
is reproduced herewith. 


77 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


[LPIA PATIL id Vid Vid Vial Vol Viel Vaal Lael Lal CA LL LALA ATI AL ALATA ati til Lil Ciel cel taal al Aa a AA hel el ll el el a ea ll 


“ These drawings (water-colours connected with Scotch tour, 1807) all seem 
to have been based on the sketches brought back from the 18or tour, as Turner 
does not appear to have revisited Scotland till he went there for Scott's ‘Pro- 


. . . ee > >> 
vincial Antiquities’ in 1878. A. J. FINBERG. 


Turner made two visits to Scotland between 1801 and 1818, the first in 
1803 and another in 1810. I possess a volume containing virtually all of the 
sketches made on the tour of 1810. He visited Inverary, and the volume 
contains a number of sketches of the place, including the castle. 


“The period between his thirtieth and forty-fifth years (1805-1820) was the 
period of his freshest and happiest inspiration, as well as that of his soundest and 
most perfect workmanship.” A. J. FINBERG. 


Many will not agree with Mr. Finberg on this. The judgments of Mr. 
Ruskin, Sir Theodore Cook, and others will find readier acceptance. The 
former said: ‘The change which led to the perfect development of Turner’s 
power took place in 1820.” Sir Theodore said: ‘“‘It was not till 1820 that he 
discarded precedent, found his own methods, revelled in the possibilities of 
his delicately deliberate handling, and strove for his own ideal.” 

Such differences of opinion indicate the advantages which might be 
gained by an exhibition of Turner’s work, arranged on strictly chronological 
lines. 


“ Between 1811 and 1814 (the exact date is doubtful) he paid his first and, 
so far as is known, his only visitto Devonshire.” sap WaAlTER ARMSTROMEE 


There is convincing evidence of Turner’s having visited Devonshire at 
least eighteen times. 

After Farnley Hall, in Yorkshire, Wolford Lodge, in Devonshire, was 
perhaps the nearest approach to a real home that Turner knew. 

The dates of his various known visits to Devon are given elsewhere in 
this volume. 

There seems to be no doubt as to the exact date of Turner’s first visit to 
Devonshire. It was 1797, and I have his drawing of the coast-line between 
Beer and Seaton, bearing that date. 


78 


ey “T, 
pee! a ee 
Spe ee coe 


or 


~~ 








COPY OF REMBRANDT’S “‘MILL,’’ 1827 
Original, width 4 inches by height 3 inches 





AN EPITOME OF TURNER'S ART, 1829 


Original, width 7 inches by height 5 inches 


BY WAY OF COMMENT 


AAA AU AIA ALIAAIALIAIALM MMM aaa a aaa Alia iAlia ial ial il i ll al ele aa aaa ALIA IALiAl iA ATi ily il Tiel el el al al el al al a AAT Aa aia id 


“Tt shows that tendency to put himself in direct rivalry with deceased artists 
of reputation which, through life, was one of the peculiarities of Turner's am- 


*,° ” 
bition. P. G. HAMERTON. 


I have copies made by Turner after Raphael, Rembrandt, Correggio, 
Claude, Reynolds, Wilson, Gainsborough, Teniers, van Ostade, and many 
others, including his friend Tom Girtin. 

One after Rembrandt is reproduced herewith: a copy in pencil of his 
well-known “Mill,” the original painting being in the Widener Collection 
in Philadelphia. 


“Sometimes Turner’s pencil is cut broad at the end and the sketches are very 
comprehensive in treatment; and other times a harder pencil is used, and it is 


s » 
sharpened to a fine point. P. G. HAMERTON. 


I could supply many specimens of Turner’s work in pencil which would 
fully corroborate Mr. Hamerton’s statement, and show the folly of passing 
hasty judgment on examples of it, when the results obtained by the two 
methods are so entirely dissimilar. 

Mr. Hamerton knew far more about it than a well-known “authority,” 
who, in the course of an examination of a group of Turner’s pencil sketches, 
discarded offhand the larger portion of them because they were not made 
with a fine-pointed pencil! It was impossible to convince him, for “he knew 
rau Ege 


79 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


Pia Aa PNAPAAPRANEAIRANAANEAN APN ELSE NMEA PNR PRUE RAPA PR AMASMAS IRS IRSNEPIES NEL SEPM EP NUE RUPP UPR APRS PNABRSPASIRSP RSPAS SRANAL NAD NS SUP NUP N aT aE NU PR UPA A PRAPRAPRAMRSMR STASIS TAS IRAN E NEEM 


“Tn a case where the chronology of a group of drawings has seemed to be 
guaranteed by its connection with the whole series, and by its concordance with 
all the external facts, I have ventured to assume that we may take the date as 
established. But when, for one reason or another, I have not felt quite satisfied 
on this point, I have printed the date with an asterisk. All the dates marked 
with an asterisk must therefore be taken as more or less hypothetical.” 


A. J. FINBERG. 


So far as “approximations,” ‘“‘hypotheses,”’ “asterisks,” ‘“‘circas,” 
“abouts,” “query by Turner?” and such are concerned, they are now 
things of the past in connection with Turner’s drawings and sketches. 

Every one of those in the National Gallery Collection, handled by Mr. 
Finberg during his four years’ task in preparing the inventory, Jore then 
and bears now Turner’s hidden signature and the date. 

Mr. Finberg had no reason to believe they were there, and consequently 
did not look for them. 


“His works of this early period (1793-17906) are usually signed. The 
earliest signature known to me 1s the one previously alluded to, W. Turner, 
1786. For the next few years he signed simply Turner, or oftener W. Turner, 
occasionally adding the date. In 1799, when he was elected an Associate of 
the Royal Academy, he changed to W. Turner, A. R.A., and in 1802 be- 
came J. M. W. Turner, R.A. In his works of his later life it is the excep- 


. . > 
tion to find any signature. W. G. RAWLINGS OM 


This statement is so misleading, as a whole, that I am obliged to take it 
up in sections: ; 

1. Every drawing of this, and all other periods, is signed and dated; from 
1788 to 1797 they were signed J. W. Turner. 

2. My observations confirm the form of signature given by Mr. Rawlin- 
son. 

3. I never saw an authentic drawing signed “Turner.” It is difficult to 
believe that one exists; the signature “‘W. Turner” was, I believe, confined 
to the years 1785-1787. 

4. I can say nothing regarding these from personal experience, but should 
require convincing proof that any signature of 1799, ““W. Turner, A. R. A.,” 
exists and is genuine. At that date it would be J. M. W. Turner. 

5. “It is the exception to find any signature” —unless you know how and 
where to look for it! 


’ 


80 





sayout %L yyZiay Aq sayoul 11 YIPIM ‘[eUlIsUC 
TORI “HOOE-HOLIMS (0 AVAT NO SLVOU TIVWS TO ALHIUVA V 





BY WAY OF COMMENT 


NUT NUPNAPRAENAPRABAABAASRAADNRASAANU ANA ENE NEN UPN MER EN YER ER ERD ER ARAMA AIR ANAANN AMA AN ANAS NAP NAAN SAUER PU PND PRY PR YAMPA SPAS RRS MAS IRS RAS IAS MSNA SNAP NAP NN PNP Nu RP APNG P AURA SRA ARR ZAR ZAR SNAG! 


“Vessels of every rig, and sailors at their work, or following their rollicking 
pleasures on shore, appear in numbers of his drawings.” 


ROBERT CHIGNELL. 


The accompanying illustration indicates the painstaking care which 
Turner put into everything he did. It will repay close examination in its 
details. It is a leaf from one of his sketch-books; and every separate vessel 
of the group bears Turner’s hidden signature and the date (1802). 


“Unsigned, unnamed, undated, it is impossible to give them a certain date, 
and really it does not much matter. Turner painted them; the nation has them; 


. »”> 
that ts all we need to know. C. LEWIS HIND. 


We cannot altogether agree with Mr. Hind in this. It does matter whether 
a drawing bears Turner’s signature and the date or does not. An illustration 
may be given. Some years ago I examined a number of so-called “doubtful” 
Turner drawings in the Victoria and Albert Museum, which came to it from 
the Alexander Dyce Collection. I found that some of them were signed and 
dated, and was glad to be able to assure the officials of their authenticity. 

There are numerous spurious Turner drawings about, but while it is most 
difficult to successfully copy or imitate one of his drawings, it is altogether 
impossible to imitate his hidden signature and the date. 

Imagine the interest the National Gallery Turner Collection would possess 
should a definite and authentic date be affixed to every one of the 19,000 
pieces comprising it. Light would be thrown on a number of problems that 
are now most vexatious. Besides, a reliable and complete Turner itinerary 
could be compiled, and that is an admittedly great desideratum. 


SI 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


AAA AA AIAAIAIAria a i aaa AAA Aa ai el a AIA ALIAL AIA IAVIATIAT LAVA LLY ae aT ATTATATTATATIATIATIATT 


“Turner was perhaps the most anomalous character of the nineteenth cen- 


in »”? 
tury; he was more than eccentric. CHARLES HENRY HART. 


Unfortunately, my old friend Hart, well-versed in many phases of art, 
and the accepted authority on the work of Gilbert Stuart, has passed away. 
He would have been delighted at an opportunity of discussing the question 
of Turner’s eccentricity with the only man who has ever been known to 
deny it, Mr. Finberg. 


“By the time Turner was seventy years of age (1845) his bodily infirmities 
prevented him from visiting Switzerland. For a year or two we find him haunt- 
ing the coast of Normandy, about Dieppe, Eu, and Ambleteuse. Then he is 
unable to cross the Channel. For a short season he flits about Sussex and Kent 
—at Folkestone, Margate, Deal, and Sandwich—and then there is silence.” 


A. J. FINBERG. 


As throwing light on Turner’s movements from 1845 to 1850, inclusive, 
the material in the National Gallery is deficient, and this has led Mr. Fin- 
berg into a justifiable error. 

Excepting records of occasional visits to adjacent English counties, one 
to France and a misdated Swiss tour (1844—should be 1845), the sketch- 
books in the National Gallery afford no clew to Turner’s work nor where- 
abouts after the year 1843. 

The bulk of his drawings and sketches made during this period (1845- 
1850) came into my possession by purchase, many years ago, and a close 
study of them, in conjunction with material obtained from other sources, 
reveals these facts: 

Instead of 1843 being the date of Turner’s last visit to Switzerland, as 
is generally supposed, he made five subsequent journeys: in 1845, 1847, 
1848, 1849, and 1850. During this same period he visited Italy four times, 
France four times, Germany three times, and Belgium twice. He also visited 
Madeira, Algeria, the Canary Isles, and Gibraltar in 1846. 

During those same years he made no less than thirty-five visits to twelve 
English counties, going once to Ireland and twice to Wales. 

In 1851, when for the first time his rapidly growing infirmities precluded 
any lengthy travel, he went to near-by Surrey, the Isle of Wight, Dorset, 
and, last of all, to pay a farewell visit to his beloved Devon. 

He was much interested in the great exhibition of 1851, and made 


sketches of some of the exhibits, two interior views, and one of the grounds, 
in Hyde Park. I have them all. 


82 





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CHARCOAL DRAWING, LANDSCAPE COMPOSITION, Lo. 
Original, width 13 inches by height 9 inches 





PENCIL DRAWING, CONTINENTAL SCENE, 1834 


Original, width 8 inches by height 6 inches 


BY WAY OF COMMENT 


PUTT ilY il Viol Vil Vial Yl Pol al Cl al AIT TAL ALAM ATAL AT ATATiAl Ubi ill id Vl Piel Vial Cal taal Cl Cal Lal a TAAL TATA Aa Cl iat al al el eA AAA leh Cee tk aa 


“These studies (for Turner's diploma picture of Dolbadarn Castle) are 
made in coloured chalk. This is, I believe, one of the few occasions on which 


¥ ?) 
Turner has been known to work in pastel. A. J. FINBERG. 


Mr. C. Lewis Hind’s statement that Turner “tried everything in turn”’ 
applied to mediums of expression as well as subjects. My collection con- 
tains more than a dozen of his pastels, one of which was made in northern 
Europe on his tour of 1821. 

The charcoal sketch reproduced herewith bears Turner’s own special 
title, and the pin with which he attached it to the sketch. 

The collection of H. G. Spicer, Esq., of London, contains many fine ex- 
amples of Turner’s drawings in charcoal (unrecorded). 


“To describe the delicate minuteness, combined with breadth of effect of the 
drawing, would be impossible. Unless the actual working out of the details ts 
actually seen and examined, no one would credit that human sight and touch 
were fine enough to accomplish such results.” RORERTICHICN EIS 


“Turner's small hand was so delicate that it could draw with a degree of 
executive refinement which astonishes even opticians, the most refined of all 
workmen in the pure handicrafts.” Pepe Ver eee: 


It takes a fine example to measure up to such a description, but I believe 
that the accompanying reproduction will at least serve to show the meaning 
of the writers’ remarks. 

If Mr. Hamerton’s statement was correct—and no one has ventured to 
question it—there should be no occasion for surprise when it is stated that 
this same man, with such admittedly marvellous powers of execution, often 
placed his entire signature, and the date, on spots no larger than the head 
of a pin. 


83 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


AOOANVANGEN WINGER GEN GINUINGENGENAPNAPNAANASNAENDENASNISNSNINGA IRINA NGPNGLNAEN GEN APN UFY GENER IBNABEAAN IR ATAASAAILANNAY AANA PNA /NUF MMF NUPN GANA O GPR OFN SAN SFASMAINSTA/MA/ IIIa Va/ Mul Nut Nut ah 


“All the true and strong men who were Turner’s contemporaries shrank from 
the slightest attempt at rivalry with him on his own lines—and his own lines 


»”» 
were cast far. JOHN RUSKIN. 


Not only true, but most encouraging to all students of Turner’s art. It 
explains why, in a roomful of water-colour drawings, at an exhibition, there 
is comparatively little difficulty in locating those by Turner. 

There is an indefinable something in a Turner drawing that is not to be 
found in the work of the other water-colour artists, though most skilfully 
designed and brilliantly executed. 

Incidentally, there is a great scarcity of good copies of Turner’s drawings. 
It is easy to make poor copies of his work, but extremely difficult to make one 
that would deceive a person well acquainted with the methods and character- 
istics of his art. 


“Hamerton says Turner never was able to spell. The statement is much 
too strong. I have read dozens of Turner’s letters, and enough manuscript notes 
of one kind and another to make a substantial volume; and yet, even in memo- 
randa tntended only for his own eye, mistakes are rare, and the few which occur 
are such as even well-educated people were prone to in his day.” 


SIR WALTER ARMSTRONG. 


Turner certainly did make some bad blunders in his spelling, and I pos- 
sess numerous examples in proof of it. However, I believe that Sir Walter 
is right in his statement. 

Strangely, as he states, the mistakes rarely occur in his letters, manu- 
script notes, etc. They are found mainly in the titles of his drawings and 
sketches—at least that is the result of my observations. 

In a number of cases I have noticed that, having occasion to use the 
same word twice, he would spell it correctly in one instance and incorrectly 
in the other. Hurry or indifference probably accounts for it. 

I have Turner’s copy of Reynolds’s portrait of “Perdita” Robinson. He 
titled it “Perditer,” as that spelling corresponded to the sound of its pro- 
nunciation by others. 

Mr. Ruskin called attention to the fact that all of Turner’s mistakes in 
spelling were economical. He said: “Many bad spellers waste their letters; 
but Turner, never.” 

It happens that I have beside me as I write, some travel records in Tur- 
ner’s handwriting, and I read that he visited “the ‘scite’ of the ancient 
castle.” I have met with other examples, also. 


84 





S9YUL OL Jy Soy Aq Soyoul VI y}pIm *‘]BUIBIIC 


QTQI SALIOILSAWOdG HSTAM 





BY WAY OF COMMENT 


Lib ee eA IAAL ALAA MAL Ce aa AA ALIA IAAT AT eT aL TATA TALIATIALIATIAT IATA bt iT il Pel el Lal a LAAT TALIALIALIALAT IAT il Til ol tl Pel Ll hd 


“ There 1s at least one note missing in his gamut of human circumstances— 
that of domesticity. Turner shows us men at work in the fields, on the seas, in 
the mines, in the battle, bargaining in the market, and carousing at the fair, but 


”»> 
never at home. COSMO MONKHOUSE. 


The fact never occurred to Mr. Monkhouse that there might possibly 
be some Turner drawings in existence which he had not seen. 

The sketch reproduced herewith is only one of a number of similar im- 
port in my collection. 

An interesting article might well be written concerning the things which 
Turner could not draw—but did; where he did not go—but went; what he 
could not do—but did; what he did, a la Wapping—but did not; the kind 


of a man he was—but was not, etc., etc. 


“ The drawings and sketches included in the Turner Bequest at the National 
Gallery comprise practically the whole of the great landscape-painter’s work done 


. ” 
direct from nature. A. J. FINBERG. 


So broad and sweeping an assertion should not have been made without 
a certainty of its correctness. At least there should have been some measure 
of qualification attached to the statement, which is incorrect and over- 
drawn. 

In one volume alone I have nearly 250 of Turner’s sketches “done direct 
from nature.”” They came from the artist’s early patron, Mr. John Hender- 
son, and bear Turner’s hidden signatures and dates. I also possess the large 
collection of Turner’s sketches which passed from his hands to those of his 
patrons, John and Charles Landseer. 

I have also a bound collection of nearly 600 sketches, put together by 
Turner himself. The title, “Studies from Nature, of Figures, Costumes, and 
Landscape,” is in his handwriting, and on the cover appears his signature 
and the date of 1848. 

In all, my collection contains over 3,000 sketches which answer in every 
detail to Mr. Finberg’s classification, and yet we are told that the National 
Gallery possesses practically all that Turner ever did. 

Incidentally, I may state that the Rosenbach Company of New York and 
Philadelphia possesses a collection of about 130 leaves from Turner’s sketch- 
books—a series of pencil sketches of scenes in England and Wales. 


85 


THE UNKNOWN, TURNER 


a AA AUALAaLalMa Mm a Me eee AI ALIALIALIALIALA LALA id il il al a a RIAA ALIA ALATA iT el LLP eae aT RATA TATA APA PLA Pi PL Pe 


“From that time (1792) onward Turner managed his own affairs, living 
mainly by the commissions, which were so plentiful, for topographical drawings, 
portraits of country houses, and such Itke, but also by the sale of drawings, made 


»”? 
to sell, etc. SIR WALTER ARMSTRONG. 


These are undeniable facts. Probably as many of Turner’s drawings and 
sketches passed—by sale and purchase—from his hands to those of others, 
as remained in his own possession at his death. Where are they? Not in the 
National Gallery. 

Many of them are still widely scattered throughout Great Britain, and 
thousands are in my own collection. 

I can myself name forty households possessing Turner drawings that 
are unrecorded. 


“It was William Hazlitt who said: ‘If we wish to know the force of human 
genius, we should read Shakespeare; if we wish to see the insignificance of 
learning, we may study his commentators.’ 


“It seems almost trite to point out how truly this observation may be applied 
to F. M. W. Turner.” 


CHARLES HARRIS WHITAKER, 
Editor of “ Fournal of American Institute of Architects.” 


The more real learning a man possesses, the less inclined will he be to 
make a show of it. 

The more copious his vocabulary, the more simple his words and the 
greater his restraint. 

Hazlitt’s shaft of ridicule was doubtless aimed at certain types of pedan- 
tic commentators who were more concerned with their own reputations and 
show of learning than with the measure of light they might be enabled to 
throw upon the work of the Bard of Avon. An ounce of Shakespeare to a 
pound of Self! 

And the editor of this well-known architectural journal, with his dis- 
criminating judgment, is likely to have adopted Hazlitt’s dictum as a pro- 
test against the disposition on the part of certain writers on Turner to inter- 
pret his work as being so intimately and exclusively connected with hand 
and brain as to cause their readers to forget that Turner’s primary appeal 
is rather to the eye and heart. 

Turner was, of all men, the least desirous of being interpreted to the 
lovers and admirers of his art through the medium of an art dictionary. 
An ounce of Turner to a pound of Self! 


86 





sayout $ yysray Aq sayout ZL yIpIM “[BVUIsIIC 


(A94IOJ STY 1OfJ JOUINT Aq ope) 
QOgI S‘NOAGC ‘NOLUAAIL LV AOGIUA FHL WOUT MAIA 





BY WAY OF COMMENT 


PITIPAPIAV LAVA VIL LIY LIV LTT RI TLITAITATTATTATAMATIAPIATILTELV INTL V VITOR TAIT AU AT TAATTATIAL IATL aM RL a aR AAALAC AUC LL 


“ Although there is no direct evidence to guide us, there is enough indirect to 
enable us to reply with confidence that Turner and his mother understood and 


loved one another during the years they spent together.” pogeRT CHIGNELL. 


The only direct evidence of Turner’s love for his afflicted mother that 
apparently exists is a beautiful pencil drawing in my collection, of Tiverton, 
in Devonshire, which he doubtless made for her enjoyment, and on which 
he wrote her name. It is dated 1808. 

The painstaking care with which the drawing was made is evidence 
enough of his affection for her. It is reproduced herewith. 


“Turner was the Shakespeare of Landscape Art.” 
ALFRED TENNYSON. 


“This Turner, whom you have known so little while he was living, will one 
day take his place beside Shakespeare and Verulam. 

“Of all the three, though not the greatest, Turner was the most unprecedented. 
Bacon did what Aristotle had attempted; Shakespeare did perfectly what Aischy- 
lus did partially; but none before Turner had lifted the veil from the face of Na- 
ture; the majesty of the hills and forests had received no interpretation; and the 
clouds passed unrecorded from the face of the Heaven which they adorned and 
the Earth to which they ministered.” JOHN RUSKIN. 


“Such is the intense and infinite sympathy which Turner appeared to have 
possessed for every kind of life at this period that Shakespeare, in his own style, 
is the only man that can in any way be compared to him.” 

ERNEST CHESNEAU. 


y 


Many similar comparisons have been made by other responsible writers, 
including Prof. William Knight of the University of St. Andrews, who sup- 
ports his opinion with strong and convincing reasons. 

Two of the many biographers of Turner have even suggested the possi- 
bility of his having been a reincarnation of the Bard of Avon. (Both Shake- 
speare and Turner were born on St. George’s Day.) 

Can any one mention a name other than Turner’s in the entire history 
of modern art which has been deemed worthy of being linked in genius 
with that of Shakespeare? 


87 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


PNMINGENGTNGINGPNGPNAMNGTAINNUSNANGASAINGINNENENGENDFNUFNGPNGENGFRUENSENSMASMASPASMAISNDNUANAANA/ NA NMPRANUFAUPAUFNGARDRAGPLIMNAMASIRAANAANA/ VAP NOPNEPNAP NUP NUP NUP LEPRGPLSPRSRN ZA ZAA JME SAK paI 


“Turner, all through his extraordinarily industrious life, amassed money 
hand over hand by the sale of his drawings, and by the profits of the engravings 


of his works; and he died worth £140,000.” J. E. HODGSON, R. A, 


A clear statement of undeniable facts. There is abundant evidence that 
Turner sold not only finished drawings but also a great number of his 
sketches “done direct from nature” to certain of his patrons. On nearly all 
of those made for Lady Elton, of Clevedon Court, he named the price on 
the back of the sketch—and other similar cases are known. 

It does not require any special amount of intellectual effort to figure out 
that things cannot be in two places at the same time. The thousands of 
drawings and sketches that Turner sold and received money for, from his 
numerous patrons, during his entire life, never remained in his Queen Anne 
Street house; were never in the National Gallery Collection, and are not 
there to-day. 


“It 1s an impossibility for any man to have collected as many as 5,000 draw- 


. ” 
ings and sketches by Turner. CHARLES AITKEN, 


Director of the Tate Gallery. 


This remark of Mr. Aitken was repeated to me by his assistant, Mr. 
Manson. 

It is perhaps unnecessary to recall to Mr. Aitken’s memory the many 
things in every known phase of human activity which, being deemed “‘im- 
possibilities,” nevertheless came to pass. This only adds one more to the 
number. 

Mr. Aitken might have easily figured out the problem in this way: 

On a most conservative estimate, Turner worked 300 days per year for 
sixty years, making an average of two drawings or sketches per day. The 
total output would therefore be 36,000 pieces. 

It is impossible to account for more than about 21,000 in known public 
and private collections, not counting my own. This leaves 1 5,000 unac- 
counted for. 

Then allow for thirty years of steady, persistent search made by a man 
who knew what he was after, and knew the thing when he saw it—more- 
over, the only person possessing knowledge of Turner’s hidden signatures 
and dates—and consider whether it would really be an impossibility for him 
to have collected 5,000 drawings and sketches—or 10,000, or more. 

Personally, I am of opinion that the total number of drawings and 
sketches made by Turner ranged from 38,000 to 40,000. 


88 





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BY WAY OF COMMENT 


Natns Uae et eee ALAA AA alia alia lial ia id il ata ala AL AALIAL TALIA iAr Arata Tia Pil La ARIAT ATArAliAlArIALIArIAT IAA iA TiLv i PLY RIYA RIT RATT 


“Who can but be entranced by the distance, Turner’s sign-mark, the open 
gate that lures us away from the troubled foreground of the world.” 


C. LEWIS HIND. 


This example of Turner’s “sign-mark” may be deemed an appropriate 
illustration of Mr. Hind’s sympathetic tribute to one of the great features 
of Turner’s art. 


“Turner made his first visit to Italy in 1819.” 
A. J. FINBERG. 


While Mr. Finberg is quoted on this point, it will be remembered that all 
writers on Turner make the same statement. 

On the occasion of Turner’s first Continental tour, in 1802, he crossed the 
border from Switzerland into Italy, and visited places in the Val d’Aosta. 
A number of drawings of Aosta, made on this trip, are in the National Gal- 
lery Collection (see Mr. Finberg’s “Inventory,” txxiv). Although the 
stay was a casual one and hurried, it was nevertheless Turner’s first visit 
to Italy. 

From the artist’s own sketch-books in my possession I am able to prove 
that he made a Continental trip in 1818, spending the month of July in Swit- 
zerland and Italy (Venice and Lakes Maggiore, Lugano, and Como), the 
month of August in Switzerland and the Tyrol, and the earlier portion of 
September on the Rhine. 

Soon after his return to England—in October—he made his visit to Scot- 
land. 

I believe that a careful examination of the Italian sketch-books of 1819 
in the National Gallery Collection would show that certain ones among them 
(174 and 181 particularly) represent Turner’s work of the previous year. 
This could be definitely proved by the dates on the drawings. 

It is significant that when Turner went to Italy the following year (1819) 
he omitted visits to the localities already covered in the tour of 1818. 

The sketches by Turner covering this journey are about 135 in number. 
They formerly belonged to the wife of Sir John Leicester, one of the artist’s 
best patrons. 

Turner’s third visit to Italy was made in 1819, and proved far more im- 
portant in results than either of the previous ones. 


89 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


PTAIT ALTA ALLATATIATIATIATIATIATIALIAT in Til tin Val vil Tel Tel Talal Talla ATA IALIATIALIATIA in init il tlt tele ee a aA eA AAA hh le eee A Lal 


“Tt goes far to establish the immortal greatness of Turner that a work from 


. . << 
his mature brush always cries out “I am a Turner. FRANCES DOWNKIAN: 


Not only “the works of his mature brush” but fully three-quarters of 
the entire product of his brush and pencil cry out “I am a Turner” to those 
with watchful eyes and listening ears. 

I have heard that cry many times during many years. I have heard it 
when the drawings in my hands bore the names of other artists, which had 
been placed there by unscrupulous dealers; in other cases, when amateur 
painters had “appropriated” Turner’s work, and audaciously attached their 
own names to the drawings. 

I have heeded the cry many, many times, and found that the drawings 
and sketches were truly the work of the great artist, and this has been con- 
firmed by finding on them Turner’s hidden signatures and dates. 


“Incidentally it may be noted that Turner has not painted a single Irish 
scene; nor does he appear ever to have visited Ireland, although it might have 
been supposed that its fine lake and mountain scenery and the variety of atmos- 
pheric effect, due to the moisture of its climate, would have strongly attracted 


° »”? 
him. FRANCES TYRRELL-GILL. 


“With an indifference for which I am at a loss to account, Turner 1s not 
known to have expressed even a wish to see Killarney. His business never took 
him to Ireland, and Killarney has lost the advantage of having her beauties 
transferred to canvas by the pencil of Turner.” PETER CUNNINGHARE 


How is it possible for any one to believe or even surmise that Turner, 
the constant and tireless traveller to all available parts of Great Britain and 
Continental Europe, would fail to visit a country of such exceptional charm 
and interest as Ireland—a next-door neighbour? 

His earliest visit to the Emerald Isle was made in 1798. I have his sketch- 
book used on that tour, containing sixty drawings. He made other visits in 
1809, 1810, 1812, 1817, 1826,and 1845,and many of the drawings represent- 
ing his work on these various journeys are in my collection. 

I have probably a dozen drawings and sketches of the Lakes of Killarney 
by Turner, and believe that another fine drawing of the subject is in the 
collection of Thomas Hughes Kelly, of New York. 


go 








MOSS ROSE, 1823 


Original, width 8 inches by height to inches 


BY WAY OF COMMENT 


SIVEIVAIVAITAIIAIIALIATIATIATIALIALIATIALIAV In TATTLE TR aT ATA ALTALTALIATIALIALIATIALIAT IAT Tid ill hl Pale ATA LATAlIArIALIAr Ariat isis il Til tal vaPal ae TAL ATIATIALIAL 


“Hunt could paint a flower, but not a cloud; Turner, a cloud, but not a 


”» 
flower. JOHN RUSKIN. 


How can we account for so misleading a statement from such a man as 
Ruskin? It is correct so far as it applies to Hunt, but certainly incorrect as 
to Turner. Remember, the statement is not that he never painted a flower, 
but that he cou/d not. 

What are the facts? Turner loved flowers as he loved all other beautiful 
things in nature. Equally with birds and butterflies, their colouring made a 
strong appeal to him, as is evidenced by the exquisite work he bestowed on 
them. 

Most of those in my collection—over fifty in number—came to me from 
Turner’s various albums, sold by him to patrons, and finally reaching my 
hands as the result of many years of persistent search. 


“Nothing is more striking in Turner’s pictures than his constant repetitions, 
with but slight variation, of the same theme.” ALR RT 


Not only true as regards repetitions of the same theme, but he also made 
many copies of his own drawings which, to the ordinary eye, were already 
complete and satisfactory. 

In all cases, however, a close examination of the two drawings will show 
that the alteration has invariably worked an improvement. 

Turner duplicated many of his “Liber Studiorum”’ drawings. I have 
seen three drawings by him of the ‘“‘Little Devil’s Bridge,” in every one of 
which slight variations are found. 

Duplications of his water-colours were often made, while apparently he 
seldom made a second copy of any pencil drawing. 

I have one subject drawn in pencil, which was later redrawn by him in 
pen and ink—the latter being a decided improvement on the former. Both 
are in my collection. 


gI 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


aah uh ahaa aaa a aA ALIALIALIALIALIAL IATL Til Cal al al TAAL AL AL IAT AL AAA iA TULvilv il Til il Tiel Pa TALIA ALTA AAT Ariar alist bil til Pid vil al area Tae ATT ATT 


“For this (the ‘Liber Studiorum’) he made about a hundred drawings in 


. » 
sepia—a colour he rarely used elsewhere. W. G. RAWLINSON. 


Mr. Rawlinson’s statement was necessarily based on his own experience 
and observations. 

He had doubtless examined the drawings and sketches in the National 
Gallery, also those in many private collections, and found few sepias among 
them. 

On the contrary, my experience leads me to an altogether different con- 
clusion. 

I should say that sepia was one of Turner’s more favoured mediums of 
expression. He used it exclusively in certain series or groups of drawings 
made for special patrons, and also on many separate pieces. Two of the 
largest Turner drawings I possess are in sepia: ‘“‘Hospital of St. Cross,” near 
Winchester, 27 x 40 inches, and “Taormina,” in Sicily, 23 x 34 inches. 

Two Scottish tours, a visit to Yorkshire, and a prolonged stay in Italy, 
Sicily and southern France are represented entirely in sepia. 

There are over 500 examples of Turner’s work in sepia in my collec- 
tion alone. 


“That Turner the water-colour painter is represented at all in the National 
Gallery is purely an accident. The bulk of his water-colours are in private col- 


. »> 
lections. A. J. FINBERG. 


The significance of these statements cannot be too strongly emphasized. 
Turner did not leave his water-colours to the National Gallery. No mention 
of them was made in his will, and as a result of the judicial settlement— 
virtually a compromise—they were apportioned to the Gallery. 

There is room for a difference of opinion as to the reason why Turner 
neglected to include them with his finished oil paintings. Was it because he 
considered that they did not adequately represent his art? We must re- 
member that, with many notable exceptions, they were the drawings which 
his patrons probably had opportunity to purchase from him and did not. 

The second statement is equally suggestive. If the bulk of Turner’s 
water-colours are in private collections, how did they get there? Turner 
must have sold them, and it is evident there were many purchasers. 

Mr. Finberg has doubtless taken Mr. Dillon’s list as a basis, but that list 
is sadly incomplete. The number recorded by Mr. Dillon is no larger than of 
those he failed to enumerate, being unaware of their existence and where- 
abouts. 


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ETAL ELE 


seyout or 3ysley Aq sayout $1 YIP “PeUIsUO 
CVRI ‘WAASAW HSILIUG 








BY WAY OF COMMENT 


WIV TiAl il Vid bl Pal TAIT AT TT TATTATTATTATTATIAT IAN IATA ia Pid tid Viel Vil Pil Phi Pal al CATAL TAAL TAT AMALIA ATIAT IAT Tilt il tel aaa AAA A Aaa ea 


“T can think of no worse architectural work for artists or architects to study 
than that of Turner. He cared to show places and buildings, not as they really 
were, but as it pleased him that they should look. Rightness was nothing to him.” 


JOSEPH PENNELL. 


Mr. Pennell is generally emphatic, and always honest in the expression 
of his views. Moreover, his statements usually have a sound basis in fact, 
and are seldom successfully refuted. 

In his statement above quoted, Mr. Pennell is, in a sense, both right and 
wrong. The criticism is a just one when applied to a large proportion of 
Turner’s oil-paintings, with which he is well acquainted, but is incorrect in 
the main when applied to Turner’s drawings and sketches, with which Mr. 
Pennell is less familiar. 

As stated elsewhere, the larger portion of Turner’s architectural draw- 
ings were gathered together by him and placed in volumes. Mr. Pennell 
has never seen the contents of those volumes. If he had, his statement 
would have been made with material qualifications. 

An example of Turner’s architectural “rightness” is given—his drawing 
of the British Museum. 

The reader’s attention is also called to the drawing of the Church of St. 
John Lateran, Rome, appearing in this volume, on an earlier page. 


“How many times Turner went to the Continent no one knows. He moved 
about silently and alone, leaving no trace of his movements save in his drawings.” 
’ 


JOHN C. VAN DYKE. 


“Save in his drawings.” And yet, when a man produces these same 
drawings, showing Turner’s characteristic work in every stroke of the brush 
or touch of the pencil, to those who really know it; in most cases with the 
titles and notes in Turner’s own handwriting; bearing also his hidden signa- 
tures and dates; in many instances presenting an almost entire sequence of 
his work in a given period, from which an itinerary of that particular trip 
could be compiled; instead of being welcomed as the possible possessor of 
valuable material which might prove serviceable in throwing additional 
light upon the remarkable career of one of the world’s greatest artists, he is 
informed by a leading official of one of the great English galleries—“We 
have no interest in your collection.” 


93 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


TAN N AP Ahetent rut Ned dutNufNutNotQaPh4PQaPNatatQsPQsPAsTOATVANNISUINAD NAA NU/NUIVUELGENGP NGF UPN GFR SFRIPLINASSNASNASVAALITA PE MUAN/NAPRA/ UGE RAF LaPVaFVaPLaFLSPLSPEUENAVIMLATAD USSU SOP NAP UPNgD 


“What a sight Turner's pictures chronologically arranged would be.”’ 
C. LEWIS HIND. 


A decidedly good idea, Mr. Hind. To the students and admirers of Tur- 
ner’s art no more interesting exhibition could be named. 

Quoting both Chaucer and Shakespeare, there need be no “ guessing” as 
to the dates, and the approximate ones given in Mr. Finberg’s inventory of 
the drawings and sketches in the National Gallery are too wide of the mark 
to warrant any dependence being placed on them. 

As every drawing made by Turner bears a date, there need be no uncer- 
tainty regarding an exact chronological order of the exhibits. 

To be able to follow Turner’s entire art career—from his early boyhood 
copies, through sixty-odd years of such experiences and attainments as fall 
to the lot of few men, to the work of his declining years, and the final end— 
truly, what a sight it would be! 

Why has the National Gallery never given the public such an oppor- 
tunity? 


“No drawing exists, that I know of, founded frankly on that key of colour 
(fresh green), nor is there any evidence of his having taken any pleasure in the 


” 
colours of flowers. JOHN RUSKIN. 


There is no basis in fact for the latter portion of the above statement. 
It is on a par with Mr. Ruskin’s other misstatement that Turner cou/d not 
paint a flower. 

The only explanation I can offer is this: most of Turner’s flower pieces 
were made before Mr. Ruskin met him, and they had been made for his pri- 
vate patrons, generally appearing in books made up for them by him. Mr. 
Ruskin was consequently not familiar with Turner’s flower pieces, and 
jumped to the conclusion that the artist never made any. 

Sir Edward T. Cook gave a reproduction of one of Turner’s flower pieces 
in his work on the “‘Hidden Treasures at the National Gallery,” and titled 
it “one of the very few that Turner painted.” 

From a study of the many examples in my collection, I find conclusive 
evidence of Turner’s having fairly revelled in the colours of flowers. 

There are fields of wild flowers, cultivated gardens, flower-beds in front 
of gentlemen’s country houses, bouquets of flowers in great variety, flowers 
on stalks, etc., all bearing internal evidence, in the making, of Turner’s 
great love for them. 


94 





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Laital aNv oawour, 


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< ’ 





BY WAY OF COMMENT 


AIA A ATA Aris NarNarnsmnse NAMAASNASAAIRANAPNAL NENA NP NUE Nurhururaur NUPNAPR IPRA M RAMADAN, PANPSRANEPNAEN EAN APN W ENE NUP NUP RSPAS PRUPRAMRAPRAMRABADIRASA ENN NRA AL AA Alaa iaal) wyarner 


“Turner was never without a volume of one of his favourite authors when on 
his travels. Shakespeare he knew best from the acting of his plays at the theatre, 
where he was constantly to be found in Macready’s time.” 

ROBERT CHIGNELL. 


A number of writers on Turner, besides Mr. Chignell, have referred to 
his appreciation of and admiration for the works of Shakespeare. 

Far more important testimony regarding it, however, is offered in a re- 
markable group of more than a dozen of Turner’s drawings and sketches, 
illustrating certain of Shakespeare’s plays, which are in the matchless col- 
lection of Shakespeareana belonging to Mr. Henry C. Folger, of Brooklyn. 

It is well known that Turner painted a few Shakespearean subjects in 
oil (Mr. Ruskin possessed one of them), but no other drawings of Shake- 
speare’s characters can be traced, except Mr. Folger’s. He also possesses one 
of Turner’s oil-paintings, referred to: a scene from “King Henry IV,” with 
Sir John Falstaff and Bardolph. Mr. Folger has kindly given me permis- 
sion to reproduce one of his drawings in this work, a scene from “Romeo 
and Juliet.” 


“The opportunities of studying Turner's work of that period (1790) are so 
extremely limited that few can be acquainted with them.” A. J. FINBERG. 


“Very few of Turner’s quite boyish drawings—I refer to those before 1790— 
have survived.” a EL WEIN NS 


Both of these statements are based on the unwarranted assumption that 
practically all of Turner’s drawings and sketches are to be found in the 
National Gallery Collection. 

I possess five volumes containing about 250 tinted drawings by Turner, 
made between the years 1785 and 1790 (mainly of 1788 and 1789). 

The drawings were evidently sold by Turner to one of his many patrons— 
Hammond by name—who had them bound. 

They then passed into the collection of Sir William Augustus Fraser, and 
at the Fraser sale they were purchased by the dealer from whom I obtained 
them. 

I have also many separate drawings of the same early period. 


25 


THE UNKNOWN ‘TURNER 


PNeINGINATNGPNGPNDINA PRASAD END SLISNESAA YA INPNEA NAD NEP NEN NUP NE Na Na Na PAu ay NAPNANUASNTSNANNANNANGINGEN GENES GEN UPN GENE GP NAPRAPADPRSPRS IAD ARA SAP IAS APNEA NAL VANE NEP NEE NaF Neha P A aPA DARGA 


“ Smirke and I, on our way to the Royal Academy, drank tea with Turner, 
and looked over his sketch-books. He said that he had Sixty drawings now be- 
Spoke by different persons.” 


DIARY OF JOSEPH FARINGTON, R. A., UNDER DATE OF JULY 6, 1799. 


How convincingly does this statement support the claim which has been 
made and maintained throughout this work—that Turner made probably 
double the number of drawings and sketches which comprise the Turner 
Collection in the National Gallery ! 

If the work of the young artist of twenty-four was then so highly appre- 
ciated that advance orders were given him for sixty drawings, the question 
naturally suggests itself, how many drawings were likely to have been 
ordered from and executed by him during the succeeding half-century of 
his active and fruitful career? Many thousands, without doubt, and not 
one of them is in the National Gallery Collection. 


“The peculiarity of this period (second style, 1820-1835)—the central one 
of Turner’s life—consists in its defiance of precedent, its refinement, brilliancy 
of colour, and tendency to idealism. 

“Only a few finished drawings, characteristic of the time, exist in the Na- 


. 2 »” 
tional Collection. JOHN RUSKIN. 


A large portion of the drawings and sketches made by Turner during 
this important period of his life is in my collection. Mr. Ruskin’s analysis 
of their characteristics is in striking accord with the facts. 

Included are the fruits of the extended tours of 1821 and 1824; the for- 
mer in northern Continental Europe, following a trip to South Wales; the 
latter in the northern counties of England, and including Scotland. Then 
follows the tour of the western counties and Wales in 1828, leaving for 
Italy in the latter part of the year. In 1834 he made an extended visit to 
Italy (including Sicily) and southern France. Incidentally he visited Italy 
in 1822, Holland in 1825, Ireland in 1826, Scotland in 1831, and France, 
Germany, and Belgium in 1833. 


96 





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BY WAY OF COMMENT 


ee a erherneon rte ttinnts amnion iho wrctinarrurunonmutununinamsirinuniAd alnedrisn 


“With the one exception of sombre and majestic forest scenery, Turner found 
his own in every conceivable kind of landscape that European travel could SUg- 


»”> 
gest. WALTER SHAW SPARROW. 


By this, we learn of still another thing which Turner was unable to draw 
or paint. 

We have already been told by various other writers that he could not 
paint either a horse, a dog, a tree, a flower, or a human figure, and now we 
learn that the painting of forest scenery was beyond his powers. 

Happily for his peace of mind, Turner died before this deficiency of his 
was discovered and published to the world. 

He had been bold enough, however, to attempt the impossible, and I 
offer from my collection an example which will enable the reader to judge 
the matter for himself. 

It is one of many instances where Turner introduced a representation 
of himself into the picture. Possibly he may have anticipated Mr. Spar- 
Trow’s criticism, and posed accordingly! 


“These titles (‘Blaze Castle’ and the ‘Deney and Welsh Coast, 791’) are 
written on the backs of the drawings by the artist himself—an excellent prac- 
tice which he very soon abandoned.” A. J. FINBERG. 


My observation differs materially from that of Mr. F inberg in this matter. 
The titles appear in Turner’s own handwriting on possibly one-fourth of my 
entire collection, on face or back, covering nearly all periods of his career. 

I can account for it in only one way. It is likely that when Turner made a 
series of drawings, in fulfilment of an order, he wrote the title-subjects on 
them for the enlightenment of the purchaser, while those in the National 
Gallery, not having found purchasers, received in the main no mark of iden- 
tification. 

It was, apparently, his custom to write the titles on his group-drawings, 
but in this there were many notable and regrettable omissions. 


97 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


PRT Ria ALI ALIAliAliAL Arial arial ia lid tin vid tid Tiel Piel Piel Tel Val cal Tal a a La a a a a ea a a ek ee el ae dl al a a al a ee ee Ll 


“ To-day, at a distance of almost a century and a half since his birth, Turner 
is still studied, and still has something to say to us that our painters of this age 


do not or cannot say.” HARRY TOWNEND 


This was written by Mr. Townend as applying particularly to Turner’s 
work in water-colour. 

If a measure of this same insight and wisdom could by some means be 
injected into certain of the officials of our art museums, and some of our 
newspaper art critics, what a blessing it would be! 

They seem obsessed with the notion that the most effective way to safe- 
guard and support the structure of modern art is to undermine and destroy 
its foundations, and Turner is generally singled out for attack because of his 
being the chief corner-stone. 

A well-known art critic in a lecture recently delivered in New York said 
that “Turner, though a master of colour, was not one who advanced the value 
of landscape art.” 

It concerned this gentleman little that his judgment was in distinct vari- 
ance with that of nearly every worth-while landscape painter of France and 
England, and also with the leading writers on landscape-art in both countries. 

Sane modern painting merits and should receive adequate support from 
all true lovers of art, but reciprocal and sympathetic interest should also be 
shown to those who believe that Turner was the outstanding exponent of 
nineteenth-century landscape art; that he first made known, and, in his own 
time, almost monopolised the element of “‘mystery”’ in art, and that a large 
portion of what is best in the work of our modern landscape artists can be 
distinctly traced to Turner’s influence and example. 


“Turner employed lithography on one occasion only.” (View of Leeds, 


1823.) W. G. RAWLINSON. 


Turner employed lithography on probably more than sixty occasions. 

The one referred to by Mr. Rawlinson was vot drawn on stone by Turner, 
but by J. D. Harding, after a Turner subject. 

My authority for this is Mr. Joseph Pennell, recognised as a world- 
authority on the subject. 

Turner’s interest in lithography, which first became active in the follow- 
ing year (1824), was probably brought about by this lithograph of Harding’s. 


98 





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VTQI SUANUAL AM HdVUOOHLIT 








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BY WAY OF COMMENT 


Se a NAOMI Nala Prat thal nse r Rstrnt NPAT rad ad bat ol teh abnor TOA SonsiasheshImajsphashadrgaParn.orcmom 


“In this year (1824) Turner is apparently fumbling towards Lithography.” 
C. LEWIS HIND. 


As a specimen of Turner’s “fumbling towards Lithography,” a repro- 
duction is given of one of his genuine lithographs made in the year named, 
1824. Like his drawings and sketches, they bear both signature and date. 

As previously stated, Turner made over sixty lithographs. 


“ Turner knew the public were interested in his water-colours and oil paint- 
ings, but he does not seem to have thought that they would care equally for his 
pencil drawings. 

“TI doubt if he sold, during the whole of his life, more than a dozen of his 
drawings of this kind, and we know that he consistently refused to give them 


. ° s »”? 
away as presents to his friends and acquaintances. A. J. FINBERG. 


Mr. Finberg’s expressed doubt that Turner sold during his entire life 
more than a dozen of his pencil drawings is very wide of the mark, and a 
specific reply seems called for. 

It is true that Turner did not, as a rule, give away his drawings and 
sketches to friends and acquaintances. The exceptions were few indeed. 
But there seems to be abundant evidence that he was willing to sell, at a 
price, almost everything that he either drew or painted. There were notable 
exceptions, of course, and in general they redound to his credit. 

Hundreds of pencil drawings were sold by him to John and Charles 
Landseer, some forming the contents of entire volumes, others in groups 
and separate pieces. The bulk of them are in my collection. 

Turner evidently sold to a certain patron, whose name I have, a series 
of his sketch-books containing pencil drawings of places in Wales and vari- 
ous counties in England. He wrote the person’s name and address in the 
volumes, which I now possess. 

And I have hundreds of other pencil drawings by him, too numerous 
for detailed mention here. | 


99 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


aT UPNU ERUPT ENDER ABRAM RAEN SENOMR ASA ASA PSAP ONAN U PMU P NU PRU ENV ENV R UFR PR SPN TRAIN AEN AERAENSIRASESSEPNEPI OPN EL NUL RUNG PNP NE PR TER SERENA MR APRAMRASSASIRASAPIR ASAP NUNES N UNL UPNUPN PNP R SPREE RAM R AMR SE 


“Turner sent to the Royal Academy in 1803, a Holy Family (he tried 


. . >» 
everything in turn). C. LEWIS HIND. 


One of the keys to the complex nature of Turner’s art is here supplied by 
Mr. Hind. “ He tried everything in turn.” 

In the National Gallery Collection there are about 120 subjects repre- 
sented by Turner that are not landscapes, nor sea-pieces, and the number 
could be materially augmented by additions from my own collection. 

It would be difficult for any one to name an object or a subject which was 
not at some time drawn or painted by Turner. He made many copies of the 
various heads of Christ, Holy Familys, and Madonnas, and I have a con- 
siderable number of them in my collection. 


“Turner was attracted by the humblest and most insignificant subject, and 
threw his whole soul into its study, but then, on the other hand, there were no 
heights in grandeur and sublimity unattainable by him.” 

ERNEST CHESNEAU. 


This 1s true, and in no sense can it be deemed an exaggeration. Inciden- 
tally, it belies the belief, so frequently expressed, that the French lacked 
both understanding and appreciation of Turner’s work. 

No artist is more generally misunderstood than Turner, mainly for the 
reason that, with few exceptions, his interpreters have harped continuously 
and exclusively on one or two strings of the many which were under his 
masterful control. 

The art-loving public have been misled into the belief that the only true 
representations of Turner’s work are to be found in pictures of a certain 
defined type—so-called “Turneresque’”—while the truth is that probably 
ninety per cent of the entire product of his brush and pencil are of alto- 
gether different types, and in endless variety. 

It is hardly a valid argument against the authenticity of a lovely draw- 
ing by Turner of a typical English rural scene to claim that it does not 
show the same method of treatment as may be found in his “‘ Rain, Steam 
and Speed!” 

Ruskin endeavoured to persuade M. Chesneau to write a life of Turner. 
His failure to do so is a matter of regret. 


I0Oo 


























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Original, width 4 inches by height 5 inches 








BY WAY OF COMMENT 


AD ATADAlAialialia MMe el aaa IA AAA AlAalialialiali ia lee el ea a aA IAL ALIA Aria isi i ll Ph a a aa ATIALIAL Arar iA tia tia il tid 


“ Between the water-colours of different periods of Turner’s career there are 
the most astonishing contrasts of subject-matter and sentiment, but in all of 
them one finds the same inimitable grace, strength, and dexterity of workman- 
ship, the same unequalled technical mastery over the medium.” 

A. J. FINBERG. 


Mr. Finberg’s statement is true, and effectively presented. Moreover it 
is based on the unusually wide experience he has been privileged to enjoy. 

A publication on the subject-matter of Turner’s drawings would doubt- 
less be welcomed. One phase of it may be touched on. 

Turner ‘made many single attempts at unusual subjects—his success in 
the accomplishment evidently satisfied him, for he seems to have made no 
further trials—and they were either made for, or purchased from him, by 
certain of his patrons. 

I have been fortunate in securing many of them, and can give assurance 
of their being remarkable examples of Turner’s skill and ingenuity, and 
mainly of superb execution. One is offered as an illustration: a copy of a 
mezzotint portrait of John Locke. 


Iol 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


eA aaa Al ial aaa ia iat ie eel el el a a A a aA ee el lel el el el a eee ae i eel el el el el a al el a el eel 


“Throughout his whole life Turner never came under any ennobling or 
refining feminine influence, either in marriage or out of it.” 
P. G. HAMERTON. 


Did not Mrs. Wells, Mrs. Wheeler, Mrs. Fawkes, Mrs. Trimmer, and 
Mrs. Simcoe and her daughters exert a refining influence upon him? 

This is merely another of the loose statements which were too often 
made by Mr. Hamerton when he ventured to stray from his own field of 
art criticism. 


“ The central spire of Rouen Cathedral (River Seine series) 15 an interesting 
indication of the date when Turner was on the spot, for 1t was burned by light- 
ning in 1821, the very year that Turner was most probably on the spot.” 

SIR THEODORE A. COOK. 


The whereabouts of Turner in the latter portion of the year 1821 has 
been an unsolved problem with all of Turner’s biographers. The records of 
the Royal Academy exhibitions throw no light on the subject, nor do any 
of the sketch-books in the National Gallery. 

Sir Theodore Cook seems to be the only writer on Turner who has pre- 
sumed to offer even a surmise as to where he was and what he did—and, so 
far as he went, he was correct. 

In September—December of that year Turner made an extensive tour, 
visiting France, Belgium, Germany, Bohemia, Sweden, Denmark, Russia, 
and Poland. Earlier months of the year had been spent in Wales. 

His Welsh sketch-book used on that trip is in my collection; also the bulk 
of the drawings and sketches made on the Continental tour referred to. 


102 





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BY WAY OF COMMENT 


E WIVIVIVLIVLITLV ATU T ITA MATAMArArar ara rath inva olor a ara AAA ATAT IAT AAT ATUL Til Vial ial ta Cal al a RACAL ee ea aa 


“There is no record of a visit by Turner to the Isle of Man.” 
COSMO MONKHOUSE. 


There may be “no record” of any visit by Turner to the Isle of Man, 
but, nevertheless, I have at least twenty of his sketches made there, with 
the titles in his handwriting. 

They came from his own sketch-books, now in my possession. The 
sketches are all signed and dated by him. 

Turner made three visits to the Isle of Man, in 1810, 1828, and 1848. 
Incidentally, this may explain the presence in Turner’s rooms in Queen 
Anne Street of the half-dozen Manx cats. 

The accompanying illustration is a reproduction of a sketch of Peel 
Castle, made in 1848. The title is in Turner’s handwriting. 


“Turner's sketches were sometimes so slight, he boasted that nobody else 
could use them. 

“<T have some doubts if Turner himself could have deciphered the outline in 
his sketch-books without the assistance of other drawings,’ said the Rev. Mr. 
Trimmer, one of Turner’s executors.” WILLIAM BELL SCOTT. 


Turner might as truthfully have stated that nobody could see some of 
his sketches. 

A number in my collection are so slight that at first glance one is almost 
certain that he is looking only at a blank sheet of paper. 

But there is cause for even greater astonishment when there is produced 
for his inspection a finished drawing made from the ghostly sketch, in which 
every essential line and feature is faithfully reproduced and given form and 
substance. 

It presents unmistakable evidence of such a combination of remarkable 
eyesight, delicate touch, and uncanny skill that one can only wonder at it— 
and continue to wonder. 


103 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


aaa aaa ea aa maa Maa a aaa AAA Ararat ia itil vil Pil Chl el Cala al aaa ATA IAT IATA TIA Tid Vid Pll tik Pol PATRI TRIAL TRATA a 


“Turner was afflicted with a secretive nature. This secretiveness was doubt- 
less hereditary, and we may reserve some of our pity for that; indeed, much of it, 
for it is the key to the whole of his character, its marvellous inconsistencies and 


. CoA ”» 
peculiarities. C. A. SWINBURNE. 


It is strange that a number of the very persons who readily admit this to 
be a true and justifiable characterisation of Turner’s peculiar mind, find it 
difficult to believe that he deliberately hid his signature on all his drawings 
and sketches, intending that they should never be known to any other person 
than himself. It seems incredible, but it is a fact, nevertheless, and can 
easily be proved to the satisfaction of any open-minded person. 


“No drawing is known for this plate (‘Calm’). 
“No drawing for this plate (‘Ben Arthur’) is known.” 


A, J. FINBERG IN HIS “HISTORY OF TURNER’S ‘LIBER STUDIORUM.’” 


Turner’s sepia drawing of “Calm” is in my own collection, while that of 
“Ben Arthur” is owned by John Furber Dexter, Esq., the well-known 
Dickens collector. They both bear Turner’s hidden signature and date. 

This, with other equally pertinent data, was offered by me to Mr. Fin- 
berg months prior to the publication of his book, but, for reasons doubtless 
satisfactory to himself, he did not avail himself of the offer. 


“In the following table an attempt is made, it is believed for the first time, to 
give an exhaustive list of Turner's works, both in oil and water-colour.” 


SIR WALTER ARMSTRONG. 


“Exhaustive list” of Turner’s water-colours! Sir Walter is certainly not 
to be blamed for being unaware of my collection when my studied effort for 
so many years has been to keep all knowledge of it from public notice, but 
the statement is amusing, nevertheless. 

The total number of ascertained water-colours recorded by Sir Walter 
and Mr. Dillon is 1,222. I have more than that number in my own collection. 


104 





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SLISOddad SNOUNOdVA,, S YANUYNAL IO ATMWVXT NV 5 . 





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BY WAY OF COMMENT 


Cea ALy POPNAMAL SAS ATA ATIATIALIAL PRAPN AP NSP NAAN DBNAMN ANN DPNPSNPINPIRANRAN ANUPAM Nu P Nae NaF UPN UNSEAT NSBR AMRAIAZ AZINE SAIL YEN al Val Nal Nal Nal NaP NUON Y PNAPRAPRASAP SAAS RAIA N APN Ne NED 


“The colour, in his most delicate work, hardly seems to be laid on the paper 
by any means known to us, but suggests the idea of a vaporous deposit; and 
besides the indescribable excellence of those parts of Turner’s water-colours 
which do not look as tf they were painted at all, there 1s excellence of another 
kind in those parts which exhibit dexterities of execution.” 

P. G. HAMERTON. 


Happily, I am able to offer for reproduction an example which answers 
fairly well to Mr. Hamerton’s description. 

It “hardly seems to be laid on the paper by any means known to us, but 
suggests the idea of a vaporous deposit.” 

The drawing came to me in one of Turner’s own albums, and bears the 
date of 1843. 


“In these times it ts the course and lines of a gradual evolution which the 
student delights to trace in any subject which engages his attention, and from 
this point of view small facts as well as great—slight and hasty sketches as well 
as elaborate finished drawings—have their importance. 

“The sketch-books of Turner were his real autobiography.” 

HERBERT E. WROOT. 


Not only the sketches in his sketch-books but also the thousands which 
either did not at any time appear in them, or were portions of sketch-books 
which had been broken up, and the leaves dispersed. 

In my collection I have a sketch made on a piece of blotting-paper, and 
another drawn on the reverse of the covers of one of the trade publications 
of Winsor and Newton, from whom Turner purchased his materials. They 
are both signed and dated. 

I possess an almost entire sketch-book representing one of Turner’s tours 
in England which I pieced together, leaf by leaf, from separate leaves which 
had been distributed, after being taken from the dismantled sketch-book. 
I have fifty of the sketches—one on each leaf—but a few are still missing. 

Sketches of this character possess more than autobiographic value—they 
are essentially vital to the proper study and appreciation of Turner’s art. 


105 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


ATIAUIAL ia Vitis hd Te a RAT ALIALIALIALIALIALIALIA IATA Vid Vil Tile hl Ch hl hal aaa ALIAiAliAlia alia il il el ea eA Aaa aie el ie el 


“Turner could, of course, have painted portraits, and did paint his own.” 
Cc. A. SWINBURNE. 


This evidently refers to portraits in oil, of which Turner is known to have 
painted only a single example—that of himself. 

It is said that he copied a portrait of Sir Joshua Reynolds, but no mention 
is made of the medium employed. I have a small water-colour sketch of 
Reynolds by Turner, and many other portraits by him, including an exten- 
sive series of fine water-colour portraits of artists, copied by Turner after 
early originals. : 

The elder Ruskin visited Turner’s house in Queen Anne Street after the 
artist’s decease, and stated that he found there portraits in various styles, 
“all by Turner.” 


“To clear up these matters definitely (the dates of the French Rivers sketches), 
I should have to travel over the ground covered by these sketch-books, and that I 


C ? 
have no time for at present. A. J. FINBERG. 


France is a delightful country to visit, and doubtless a tour of the dis- 
tricts mentioned would yield much pleasure and profit to a traveller like 
Mr. Finberg, with his keen critical discernment and capacity for enjoyment. 
To tread in the footsteps of Turner, particularly when one has had the rare 
privilege of a close companionship with the sketches made by him during 
his visits to the various points of interest there, would be an indescribable 
joy. 
If Mr. Finberg finally and definitely decides not to indulge himself in 
such a pleasurable outing, there is still a measure of consolation left: with 
the aid of a magnifying-glass, a few hours’ steady application to the task of 
an examination of the drawings in Turner’s sketch-books (ccLim, ccLiv, 
CCLy, and cctvitt) will reveal to him the exact dates of the artist’s visits to 
the various places, and thus he will be able not only to save himself certain 
inevitable discomforts of travel but also the expenditure of a number of 
pounds, shillings, and pence. 

The dates are surely there. They need only to be searched for. 


106 














DRAWING MADE FROM A LIFE MODEL, 1804 
Original, width 15 inches by height 21 inches 





BY WAY OF COMMENT 


ANAM RAMANA AEASRANRENREN REN UEN RENAE NUE NUP NUE NU PRUE NUP APRARRATRAIRANREM ALIAS NAL NAL ANS NL Nu E NP Na NUP APRAMNA PAPA AMRSMAAIASI ALIAS NAS NSN NEEM NUL NaF NOP RUPRDPRAMRSMASMAS RENAL TAL SAL SOLO LSU Nul 


“When an Academy student, Turner was admitted to the school of the living 
model. He certainly would not have been admitted to that school unless he had 
exhibited some proficiency, some capacity for drawing the human figure.” 


C. A. SWINBURNE. 


Many readers of Turner’s life have been misled by statements made as 
to his inability to draw the human figure. This comment by Mr. Swinburne 
throws needed light on the subject. 

I have over a dozen of his drawings made from living models. They came 
to me from the family of his early patron, John Landseer. 


“The unearthing of any unheard-of Turner drawings must be interesting, 
but those reproduced on these pages (Edinburgh fire, 1824) have a double inter- 
est, for besides throwing fresh light upon a little known period of the artist’s life, 
they apparently supply us with the only known example of his lithographic 


»”> 
work. T. BOLT. 


Mr. Bolt is entitled to credit for his attempt to solve the mystery of 
Turner’s whereabouts in the year 1824. I am glad to be able to confirm 
his contention that the artist visited Scotland that year. Many of Turner’s 
dated drawings in my collection prove this beyond question. 

Mr. Bolt is also correct in his statement that Turner was at that period 
interested in lithography, and made drawings on stone of the great Edin- 
burgh fire in November, 1824, reproduced in the Connoisseur, 1906. Those 
drawings (two of them) bear Turner’s signatures and the dates. 

But he is in error when he states that they are apparently the only known 
examples of Turner’s lithographic work. I am in position to prove that 
Turner made over sixty lithographs. 


107 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


“NOPNPNGPNAPAMAUSASRINNA SALSA NAENAENGENAENGFAVPNSPRAFRSERAPRSPAISRIBRANAI SANA SAA NAL NAA NAFNUNUPNGENDPRGPNSELSPAZEASAASSAANA/SUARA/ NAL NEP MAS Naf Mu NUP NUFLYENGPLVANDPAUBAZEQIMY STAI MN /MA/ MUP NOP Nad 


“Nature revealed to Turner a world of gradations of tint and colour so 
minute as to be almost inappreciable by other men, and his water-colour paint- 


ings epitomised the whole mystery of landscape art.” RICHARD REDGRAVE. 


This reproduction of one of Turner’s drawings will, I believe, fitly illus- 
trate Mr. Redgrave’s meaning. 

It presents, also, an additional illustration of Turner’s “vaporous de- 
posit,” as mentioned by Mr. Hamerton. 


“Turner's oils are magnificent, tremendous, wrought in rivalry and for 
fame; his water-colours, lyrical impressions, moods of elation, inspired by beauty, 


° > 
are himself. C. LEWIS HIND. 


The writer has often been questioned as to his reasons for preferring 
Turner’s water-colours to his oils. 

Mr. Hind has been good enough to provide him with a reply which is 
true, quotable, and effective. 

There are many artificial notes in Turner’s oils, while there are so few of 
them in his water-colours as to appear negligible. 


“The two smaller plates issued by Bohn, of Shanklin Bay and Cowes Castle, 


. >> 
are, as explained above, doubtless after Ibbotson. W. Go RAWLINSON 


This refers to the unfinished series of views of the Isle of Wight, engraved 
by John Landseer, originally issued, Mr. Rawlinson says, “about 1799.” 

Turner visited the Isle of Wight in 1800, and probably made many 
sketches. The entire six of this series were by him, and not four only of 
them, as Mr. Rawlinson believed. 

I possess Turner’s sketch of Cowes Castle from which the engraving was 
made. It bears his hidden signature and is dated 1800. I have others by 
him made on this same visit. 

Mr. Finberg has stated that the other sketch, misnamed Shanklin Bay 
(really Colwell Bay) is in Turner’s sketch-book, in the National Gallery. 

The Ibbotson myth may therefore be dismissed from further considera- 
tion. 


108 





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Cver SWivo 











BY WAY OF COMMENT 


ats ea ea AAA AAA AAA Mal el al aaa A AAIAr Allis lid Tid Tvl vil yal Y bl Pal tal ala ATTATTATATIA TIA Pid Pid Pid Pil Viel Pal ate TAIT ATT 


“Nothing is so perfectly calm as Turner’s calmness.” JOHN RUSKIN 


“This especial skill in water-surface is one of the greatest of Turner’s artistic 
achievements. He renders its peculiar texture, its liquid look when it reflects 
nothing but sky and air, as no one else has done in the same medium.” 

SIR THEODORE A. COOK. 


The truth of these statements is demonstrated by the accompanying 
illustration. 


“ Turner had the eye of a hawk and the patience of a German.” 
SIR WALTER ARMSTRONG. 


Any one who has taken the pains to study Turner’s art below the surface 
—particularly in his travel sketches—will indorse this statement as liter- 
ally correct. 

Turner’s physical and mental characteristics had to do with the marvel- 
lous products of his brush and pencil, but they also account for the quite 
uncanny skill displayed by him in so effectually hiding his signatures and 
dates on his drawings and sketches. 


“His amazing productiveness showed itself very quickly. In 1794 he ex- 
hibited five works; in 1795, eight; in 1796, eleven. How many hundreds more 


»”? 
he drew we shall now never know. SIR THEODOR ETACOGE, 


I am glad to be able to solve the problem which Sir Theodore deemed 
unsolvable. In the years 1794-1797, Turner visited the northern counties of 
England (Derbyshire, Yorkshire, Lancashire, etc.), but centred in the Eng- 
lish Lake District, which he thoroughly explored. 

He made about four hundred tinted drawings of Lake Scenery, of which 
nearly three hundred are in my collection. 


109 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


Pistia ite el aaa AA AA Al iAliAl Alinta li til el ee eae AAA AAA ial ial inl id el ell el ele ea el ea Al ea AA ial ie ie i ee el ee 


“ Turner was one who could and would adopt any idea or device which struck 
him as valuable and promising in the work of others, old or new, at home or 
abroad. But from whomever he may have learned, he could straightway teach 


>”? 
that man and all the rest. A. P. OPPE. 


A clear, comprehensive, and true statement of fact, and, moreover, one 
that is capable of abundant proof. 

If all of Turner’s copies of the works of certain artists, as well as imita- 
tions of the style and manner of others, were gathered together the number 
would probably be sufficient to warrant a separate exhibition of them. 

The copies range from Raphael and Correggio to David Cox and Clark- 
son Stanfield. As stated elsewhere, I have imitations by him of the work of 
Henry Alken, Thomas Rowlandson, George Cruikshank, and others. 

Turner was well acquainted with both Oxford and Cambridge, and made 
many drawings and sketches of both places. Somewhere he came across a 
pamphlet printed in Cambridge—a student publication, I believe—which 
contained a number of humorous illustrations where the figures were com- 
posed of a single line only, and, by bending, were made to conform to re- 
quired situations. 

The possibilities for use which were in those figures appealed to Turner, 
and he quickly adapted them to his own purposes, in a variety of ways. I 
have a large number of them, found almost exclusively in Turner’s sketch- 
books and personal albums. 

Ultimately, he illustrated the tragedies of Shakespeare with these hu- 
morous figures, and a capital piece of work it is. No one could possibly 
have illustrated the scenes of Shakespeare’s plays as Turner did with those 
curious and telling figures without possessing a good working knowledge of 
the text. 

Like every other specimen of Turner’s work in existence, the figures bear 
his hidden signature and the date (1824). 

As intimated by Mr. Oppé, the drawings and manipulations of the fig- 
ures as made and used by Turner are distinctly superior to those in the 
Cambridge publication. 








A GROUP OF TREES, 91026 


Original, width g inches by height 12 inches 


BY WAY OF COMMENT 


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“To the very last, Turner always painted and drew the copy-book tree of his 


> 
early days. W. L. WYLLIE, R. A. 


Mr. Wyllie is a distinguished painter of marine subjects, but is hardly 
considered an authority on trees. He must have a strange conception of 
Turner’s art in landscape-painting if he believes that Turner painted only 
one type of tree during his entire career, and that a “copy-book”’ tree. 

I could quote a number of competent and distinguished writers who give 
the highest measure of praise to Turner for his trees, but, in my opinion, a 
representation of a tree drawn by him will prove far better evidence in refu- 
tation of Mr. Wyllie’s statement than the word of any interpreter of his art. 

Trees, in other drawings reproduced in this volume, may be accepted as 
additional evidence in the case. 


“Although there is no record of Turner’s having been out of England in 1822, 
it is impossible to account for the production of ‘The Bay of Baia’ in 1823, 
except by the supposition that he must have been in Italy in the previous year.” 


ROBERT CHIGNELL. 


There may be “no record,” but it is well to remember that Turner’s rec- 
ords are, in the main, discoverable only in his work. Mr. Chignell’s sup- 
position was correct, for I have many drawings made in Italy which bear 
Turner’s own date of 1822. 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


CiATiAt iat eee a AL aA AIA AL IALIAL ALIA IAA ig id id il aR AA ALIALALIALIALAT Al iA id il il il el Cl a a aA ALAA IAL ALIAL al ia Sid id Pil el Pl Ul hl ah ld 


“There is nothing like it (the collection of Turner's drawings and sketches 


in the National Gallery) anywhere in the world.” SIR CHARLES HOLROYD: 


It might have been wiser if Sir Charles had qualified his statement by 
adding the words, “‘so far as is known.” The National Gallery Collection is 
unique and beyond rivalry, but it must be borne in mind that the Anderson 
Collection contains three-fourths of the number in the National Gallery; 
possesses the great advantage of a large proportion of it having been made 
for Turner’s patrons; and, moreover, includes considerably over one hundred 
volumes filled with his drawings and sketches. 


“Great painters will paint every other kind of object: a furred mantle, a 
Jjewelled zone, a silken gown, a brazen corselet—nay, an old leathern chair or a 
wall-paper, if you will, with the utmost care and delight; but a flower, by no 


: . ” 
means, tf avoidable. JOHN RUSKIN. 


Undeniable fact and unescapable logic! Until we read this we laboured 
under the impression that Turner might possibly be classed among the 
“great painters.” But as Mr. Ruskin has stated elsewhere that the aforesaid 
Turner cou/d not, and now virtually says that he wou/d not, paint a flower, 
we are most regretfully forced to the conclusion that, after all, he was only 
one of the common herd and greatly overrated. 

However, one loophole is still left. ‘If avoidable!”” How Turner must 
have struggled in his giant efforts to avoid painting a flower? 

He had no compunction about depicting a dog at Petworth barking at a 
donkey, as shown in the drawing now on exhibition in the National Gallery, 
but a flower! Not if he could help himself. 

He struggled still more violently to stifle the impulse; found himself 
unable to resist; succumbed in sheer desperation; and painted dozens of the 
loveliest specimens to be found. Fifty or more are in my own collection, 
every one of which bears Turner’s hidden signature and date. 





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Original,width 51% inches by height 9 inches 





BY WAY OF COMMENT 


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“ Sketches of architectural details were made in great numbers by Turner in 


Italy. R. CHIGNELL. 


I have stated elsewhere that Turner made special collections of his own 
architectural work. One of them may be described here: 

During his travels in the years 1841-1843 Turner made pencil sketches 
of architectural subjects—mainly churches—in Kent, Hertfordshire, Sussex, 
Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, Oxford, Dorset, and Somerset; also in France and 
Italy. 

Most of the sketches are evidently on leaves of his sketch-books, being 
uniform in size and workmanship. He gathered nearly 180 of these together 
and placed, or had them placed, in a folio volume. His signature is on the 
back cover of the volume. A leaf from the collection is reproduced here- 
with. Virtually every leaf is similarly covered with Turner’s explanatory 
memoranda in great detail. The National Gallery now exhibits a couple of 
leaves from its Turner Collection which were apparently taken from one 
of the same sketch-books. 


“Turner was no more a geologist than Shakespeare was a biologist, but he 
had an instinctive comprehension of the way things behaved under the stress of 


. . . ”> 
rain, wind, and sunshine. SIR WALTER ARMSTRONG. 


“Turner was greatly interested in the science of geology.” 
MRS, CLARA WHEELER. 


A well-known and expert mining engineer in London, who saw many of 
Turner’s drawings in my collection, expressed surprise at the accuracy dis- 
played by the artist in the drawing of rock strata and formation. He said it 
equalled the work of a trained geologist. 

Mrs. Wheeler describes the meeting of Turner with Dr. M’Culloch, the 
celebrated geologist, at her father’s home, and the impression made upon 
the doctor by Turner’s acute mind. “‘That man would have been great in 
any and everything he chose to take up; he has such a clear, intelligent, 
piercing intellect,” said Dr. M’Culloch. 


Lin 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


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“Tell’s Chapel, Fluelen—which Ruskin believed to be Turner’s last sketch 
on the Continent.” PRE PRE. 


This beautiful drawing is reproduced in “‘The Water-Colours of J. M. W. 
Turner,” issued by The Studio in 1909, and is in Mr. Rawlinson’s collection. 

It is there listed as of date “‘circa 1845.’’ ‘The exact date is 1842, and 
appears on the drawing. 

It is far from being Turner’s last drawing on the Continent, as he was 
there a number of times in later years, and made hundreds of others. 


“The character of Turner's drawings varies considerably at different periods 
. . ”? 
and during different tours. P, G. HAMERTOR 


The closer a student of Turner’s art one becomes, the less inclined he will 
be to render an offhand judgment, as between two drawings of totally dis- 
similar characteristics and treatment, that “his is by Turner, but ¢hat is 
not.” 
Turner, while he lived, was himself the sole possessor of any such pre- 
rogative, and now the “court of final resort”’ is the discovery on the draw- 
ing of his hidden signature and the date, in corroboration of previously made 
identifications. 

The work of almost every other artist can be easily identified from its 
peculiar style or method of treatment, which can be detected in virtually 
every known example, but in Turner’s work one needs to be a close student 
of all periods and phases of his endeavour, for he was a constant experi- 
menter and did not waste his time and skill on what did not indicate or 
promise an improvement. 

Evidently many of his attempts to gain unusual and perhaps startling 
effects were failures and never repeated. In many other cases he succeeded, 
but, having satisfied himself with the results obtained, no repetitions fol- 
lowed. 


114 


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BY WAY OF COMMENT 


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“Tf you see any odd drawings by Turner, with ugly figures—spoiling them, 
as the picture-dealers call it—going very cheap, pick them up.” 


JOHN RUSKIN’S LETTER TO HIS FATHER, DECEMBER 20, I8SI. 


I offer one of my many “spoiled” Turner drawings for reproduction. 
As stated elsewhere, Turner could make comely and beautiful human 
figures when he chose to do so, but he seldom did. 


“The Turner sketch-books are as valuable, in their way, as say a discovery 


of diaries kept by Shakespeare from the day he first left Stratford to the hour he 


* ete 
returned home full of honour and wisdom. C. LEWIS HIND. 


Of the various writers on Turner, about a dozen of them have been led, 
naturally and inevitably, to make some degree of comparison of him with 
Shakespeare, and Mr. Hind, living up to his reputation as a man of enthusi- 
asms, presents a striking analogy as his contribution. 

No greater tribute could be paid to Turner than these writers—Ruskin, 
Tennyson, Prof. Knight, Finberg, Sir Walter Armstrong, Sir Frederick 
Wedmore, Chesneau, and others—have paid him in so definitely linking 
his name with that of the immortal Bard of Avon. 


“Turner must have drawn and painted with as little effort as ordinary mor- 
tals exert when they play cards or write letters to their friends.” 
A. J. FINBERG. 


From all accounts Turner was an exceedingly rapid worker as well. 

A large proportion of his sketches were doubtless begun and finished in 
only a few minutes, and yet there are those who would have us believe that 
his average output per day did not exceed one sketch or drawing. 

The correctness of my contention regarding the total output of Turner’s 
drawings and sketches will eventually be conceded. It will be found to ex- 
ceed 36,000 and may approximate 40,000. 


115 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


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“Whenever the colours are vivid—and laid on in many patches of sharp, 
blotty colour—not rubbed—you may be sure the drawing ts valuable. For Turner 
never left his colours fresh in this way unless he was satisfied; and when he was 
satisfied, I am.” 

JOHN RUSKIN’S LETTER TO HIS FATHER, DECEMBER 31, I85I. 


Fortunately, my collection contains many examples of Turner’s work 
which correspond closely with Mr. Ruskin’s charming word-picture. They 
possess the bloom of a century, and yet appear to have been painted only 
yesterday. 

These drawings of Turner’s seem to place one thoroughly in touch with 
the heart and mind of the great artist. 


“Turner seems to have spent the greater part of the summer of 1811 wandering 
along the coast from Christchurch, in Hampshire, to Land’s End, in Cornwall, 
diligently making hundreds of wonderfully delicate and accurate sketches.” 


A. J. FINBERG. 


This statement is: based on Mr. Finberg’s examination of the artist’s 
sketch-books. In his “Inventory” the date is only approximately given. The 
sketches in my own collection, made on this tour—mainly in Devonshire— 
bear Turner’s own date of 1811, confirming Mr. Finberg’s supposition. 


“Tt was probably in 1830 that Turner made his first visit to Holland.” 
SIR WALTER ARMSTRONG. 


Turner’s first visit to Holland was made in 1817, and he repeated it in 
1818 and 1821. These were incidental visits, his objective points being in 
countries farther south. 

The Holland tour referred to by Sir Walter was made in 1825, not 1830. 
This is proved by Mr. Finberg in his work on the Farnley Hall collection, 
and also by one of Turner’s sketch-books in my own collection, devoted ex- 
clusively to Holland. The sketches are dated 1825. 

Turner made a fifth visit to Holland in 1834, on his way home from Italy. 


116 





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BY WAY OF COMMENT 


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“Unfinished? A work of art is finished when the artist has said all he has 


”> 
fo say. C. LEWIS HIND. 


It is believed that the drawing reproduced herewith will afford ample 
illustration of Mr. Hind’s meaning. If not, I have others that will. 

It may be mentioned that Leon Dabo, the landscape artist, included this 
“unfinished” drawing as among the gems of my collection. 

Another friend—not an artist—advised me, in a kindly way, to employ 
a picture-restorer to paint in the outlined figures! I have not yet found time 
to do it! 


“ There is only one sketch of the subject (Norham Castle).” 
A. J. FINBERG. 


To be exact: only one that Mr. Finberg knew about—that in the 
National Gallery. 

My collection contains a pencil sketch; one in sepia; a sketch in water- 
colours, and a repetition of the water-colour in the Farnley Hall Collection, 
which was reproduced in Mr. Finberg’s book. Two of them bear the date of 
1824. 


“Nothing is more astonishing in Turner’s life than his prodigious fertility, 
the enormous quantity of his work, the mountain of labour presented by the 
great sum total of his vast and various performance. 

“Remember, too, that every touch of what bears his name is really and truly 
his own, that he did not keep a picture manufactory, as Rubens did, with a score 
of workmen and pupils toiling incessantly under his direction; that he did not 
despise detail, but finished all his work sufficiently, and much of it minutely. 

“ After taking all these things into consideration, ask yourself how it would 
have been possible for a man of the world to do with his own fingers such a heap 
of work as this. 

“Merely to copy all Turner's works completely, without having any trouble 
about scheming and inventing them, would occupy a man for a hundred years.” 


P. G. HAMERTON. 


The father of John Ruskin, in a letter to his son, written after a visit to 
Turner’s house, stated that while fully appreciating the genius of the artist, 


117 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 
he was even more greatly impressed with the evidence of his marvellous 
industry. 

These were the verdicts of competent judges of 1851 and 1878. Prodigious 
as Turner’s output was known to be at that period, it has increased no less 
than seventy per centum since then, and now quite staggers the imagination. 

There would not be sufficient wall space in any museum or gallery (the 
British Museum and the Louvre included) for a proper exhibition, at one 
time, of the entire work of this Shakespeare of Art. 

The astonishing variety of subject and method in Turner’s work is equally 
a cause for amazement. Excepting his group drawings, to which similar 
treatment was naturally accorded, an examination of any considerable num- 
ber of his water-colours gives one the impression of looking through a ka- 
leidoscope. 


118 





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BY WAY OF COMMENT 


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“Art was to Turner a tradition, and he held in reverence all those who had 
helped to hand down its teachings. He genuinely admired the work of his fore- 


° »” 
runners in art. ROBERT CHIGNELL. 


No more convincing evidence of the truth of Mr. Chignell’s assertion may 
be found than the large collection in my possession of water-colour portraits 
of famous early artists copied by Turner after the originals. 

They are superbly executed and give one the impression that his heart 
must have been in the work. One is offered as an illustration. 

The incident has been narrated of a visit made to Turner by one of his 
patrons. The artist was engaged in signing for him a set of proofs of the 
“Liber Studiorum,” when the purchaser made a remark which brought that 
work into comparison with the “Liber Veritatis” of Claude Lorraine. 

“That,” said Turner angrily, “is no praise for me, and no honour to 
Claude. I’ll sign no more proofs to-day.”’ Nor would he. 

An incident in Turner’s career may be related. When in Rome in 1834, 
he visited the English Burial Ground. He found there a monument erected 
in 1824 to the memory of a young London architect who in the pursuit of 
his professional work in Sicily was stricken with malarial fever and died in 
Palermo. The monument in Rome was erected by three English artists who 
were fellow travellers with him. 

_A rough sketch of the monument had been made by another artist, and 
from it Turner, in 1834, made a water-colour drawing which I now possess. 
The details as above given appear on the back. 

It is a striking exhibit of Turner’s sympathetic interest in all those who 
earnestly and unselfishly pursued the same high calling as himself. 


“ Turner lacked a sense of humour.” 
W. G. RAWLINSON. 


The truth is, Turner had so large a fund of humour that I have believed 
he somehow absorbed some one else’s share in addition to his own. 

Slight evidence of it appears in his published life, and there is little indi- 
cation of it in his work until he had passed his fiftieth year. Then it came 
with rapidity, as if to make up for lost time. 

He made illustrations of Dickens—some original and some copies, though 


119 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 

with variations. He made a series of humourous sketches, illustrating Shake- 
speare’s works. He copied Cruikshank, and imitated Rowlandson and Alken. 

My collection contains one of his own sketch-books, entirely composed 
of his comic pen-and-ink drawings—over 200 in number. 

Turner’s humourous sketches appear almost exclusively in books put 
together by himself or under his directions. They cover a wide field, and 
compare favourably with the humour of the early periodicals. 


120 


A 
SKETCHING TOUR 
MADE IN 
FRANCE, BELGIUM, GERMANY 
SWITZERLAND AND ITALY 


IN 1839 


BY 


J.M. W. TURNER 


NOTE 


periences and impressions gained on any of his numerous sketching tours, either 

in Great Britain or on the Continent. The value and interest of any such record, 
should it exist, has been both conceded and emphasised by more than one of Tur- 
ner’s biographers. Mr. Chignell says: “Unfortunately, there are no letters of 
Turner, no diary, and scarcely a note made by friend or acquaintance from which 
it would be possible to follow him in his journeys, and in imagination spend a day 
or two in his company.” 

Now, three-quarters of a century after the death of the great artist, there is 
presented to the students and admirers cf Turner’s genius, and to lovers of the 
Fine Arts, generally, the first discovered manuscript record of any of his tours, and 
the only one known to exist in his own handwriting. 

Essentially a record of his travel experiences only, it is evidently a copy by him 
from his own rough notes, made en route, which would likely have proved undeci- 
pherable to any other person. The paper on which the copy was made bears the 
water-mark of 1840, so the book must have been purchased by Turner after his 
return from the trip. 

Hitherto Turner has been revealed to us mainly by the delineations and inter- 
pretations of his many biographers. In this record he reveals himself to us, and we 
are enabled to gain, for the first time, an accurate idea of the man and his char- 
acteristics. 

Many of Turner’s peculiarities of speech and spelling will be noted—some of 
them humourously inaccurate. For obvious reasons, no alteration of the text or 
punctuation has been made. 

The book contains 65 pages of manuscript (including his expense accounts) and 
101 illustrations. Of the latter, 61 are sketches by Turner (mainly in pencil, some in 
water-colours), 6 are detailed maps drawn by him, and the remaining 34 are en- 
gravings, lithographs, etc., which were doubtless purchased by him in various places 
during the progress of the trip. 

Appended are complete lists of the places visited, and the illustrations. The 
book is half bound and measures 714 x 9 inches. 

Reproductions are given of a page of his manuscript, another of his expense ac- 
counts, one of his manuscript maps, and a water-colour sketch. 

A complete list is also given of the places visited on the tour, the sketches made 
by Turner, the maps made by him, and the engravings and lithographs. 

Every one of the drawings, sketches, and maps (sixty-seven in number) bears 
Turner’s hidden signature and date, and the places where they may be found are 
marked with arrows. 

The identity of Turner’s travelling companions, whether for the entire trip or 
for a portion only, presents an interesting problem. The initials E. C. suggest his 
brother-artist, Edward (W.) Cooke. 

JeAG 


iF has generally been believed that Turner left no record whatever of the ex- 





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EXAMPLE OF TURNER'S MAP-MAKING; TOUR OF 1839 


Original, width 11 inches by height to inches 





CONTINENTAL TOUR OF 1839 


Boutocne, May 1. 1839. (from Dover, 4 hours). 


Hotel des Bains, every thing good—met Mrs Brown in the Steamer, & 
afterwards in the same Hotel; remaining there for her Sister—a good bed- 
room looking into the court yard, at 3 francs a day; Dinner at Table d’hote 
4 francs; Breakfast 2 francs—E. C. walked with me about the town in the 
morning. & in the evening I walked with Mrs B. to the ramparts to see the 
fire works, it being the féte of St Louis— 


Expenses. Learns: 
Landing Carriage, &c. I5. — 
declaration, &c. Ch ae 
Passport 3. — 
Carriage fine 77 40: 
Hotel des Bains Bes TO: 
Limoniere 24. — 
Livre de poste yy hes 


ABBEVILLE, May 2. ( from Boulogne, 48 miles). 


3 horses abreast (en limoniere) for each horse 1% franc, driver 2 francs; 
the post; (5 miles)—a steep hill to Montreuil which rises abruptly from the 
plain, a fortified town, consequently the passport demanded—ordered din- 
ner at Abbeville, walked to the Church, stood close to the Font the crowd 
making way for us, to see a christening; after dinner returned to hear a 
sermon, &c. on the road to Beauvais first saw vineyards; two little children 
followed the carriage up hill, throwing flowers in at the windows, asking 
alms, “‘me spake anglish”’— 


Expenses. Nee hy 
posting 68. 10. 
Church. I. — 
passport. I. — 


Bill Se 0aLO. 
Beauvais. May 3, (from Abbeville, 52 miles). 


Grand cathedral at Beauvais, walked there before dinner; afterwards to 
St Stephens Church; old woman asleep at her devotions, before a side altar 


123 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 
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all the scene compleatly Prout—M!’ C. went to bed early, Mrs C. and I 
settling accounts, in came the smart little waiting woman, drew her chair 
to the table and began a regular gossip!—a stream ran under our windows, 
at night splash, splash, no “gardezl’eau”’ 


Expenses. J ape 8 
posting 68. 10. 
Luncheon & gifts — 10. 
Carriage repairs 3. — 
Bill PY be Vite) 
Wheel repaired — 10, 
Bread & Brandy ro eS 


Paris. May 4-7. (from Beauvais, 40 miles). 


Entered Paris by St Denis; a wide but bad road, flat garden grounds on 
each side, charged double post on account of the King’s presence.—Sunday 
walked to Champs Elysees to find Mrs Wardle, in vain—z¢ along the ter- 
race of the Palace to Pont Royal, along the quay, across the square of the 
Louvre to Palais royale. 3¢ Madelaine; almost finished—Monday 1% a 
walk (alone) by Pont de la concorde, to les Invalides & Champs de Mars, 
back by Pont royale; 24 drive to Triumphal Arch, ascended the roof 250 
steps; 34 chairs before the Palace to hear the band—Tuesday, modern 
paintings at the Louvre, very poor; 24 St Sulpice & La Roque, altar with 
the light above. Wednesday, very ill, left Paris at 3 0’clock.— 


Expenses. ae 
posting 63. — 
Coaches &c S013 
Passport 5. 
Bill (Meurice) 170. — 
Letter Levee 


Me.un, May. 8-9, (from Paris, 29 miles). 


Melun, the Inn dirty and attendance bad; went to bed immediately; 
remained all thursday to recruit; no setting room, & such bedrooms! a fine 
clock on the mantle piece, with a handsome mirror & no crockery; a mar- 
ble table and a piece of coarse callico for a table Cloth. 


Expenses. Pre ree 
posting AG A. 
Bill 44. — 
Cord. 2 — 


124 


CONTINENTAL TOUR OF) 1839 
wusrneny PANPPRPSRAN RENAN LALLA IAL LATIATIALIAr LA Aah ek ek kD Caley TAI ALIALLALIALIALIAL IAL Arar ia NAPNSP NARs R annene RNAI ALLALIALIALLALIAL IA Narn sPnsry PPUPPNANN PP AP SAM TAAL Al Al Alla Alia Nee 
Sens, May 10, ( from Melun, 33 miles). 


Sens, an excellent Inn, and a beautiful Church opposite, but I was still 
ill, and went to bed after dinner. a Thunder Storm in the evening— 


Expenses. are 
posting 53.2. 
Bill (de l’Ecu) 26. — 
Cheese — 15. 
Mending Carriage 2. — 
Rhubarb. I — 


TonnerreE, May 11-12, (from Sens, 43 miles). 


Sunday at Tonnerre situated on a hill, picturesque effect from the plain, 
but a dirty poor town, strolled to the cemetery, all untidy, fine sentimental 
inscriptions, weeds & dirt— 


Expenses Ae By 
posting 56. — 
Bill (de la Poste) 48. — 


Montsarp, May 13, (from Tonnerre, 29 miles). 


Montbard one of the same class of towns, a cluster of miserable houses 
at the foot of a hill, the top crowned with a Church & Wood, thus a good 
effect passing by—a miserable Inn, and cheating landlord; a cold raw morn- 
ing when we left Bonnet blanc—Val Suzon two posts before Dijon a deep 
Derbyshire Valley, with the neat little village at the bottom, a cheval de 
renfort to drag us out— 


Expenses Togas. 
posting 38. — 
Bill Ue} tan 


Dijon, May r4-15, ( from Montbard, 43 miles). 


Dijon a fine and clean old town, full of antiquity. St Etienne in the 
Square fine figures outside; & Notre Dame curious within—beautiful shops 


125 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


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—a fine drive through Dol. open country (commons) snowy-range of moun- 
tains in the distance— 


Expenses Pas: 
posting SS.1250 
Cheese &c — 13 
Cakes — 12 


Bill (Hotel du Parc) SL eeto. 


Poutcny, May 16-77, ( from Dijon, 53 miles). 


Poligny a dirty town at the foot of the Jura, we were detained here a day 
from heavy rain; next morning the Jura covered with snow. soon melted 
before the sun, planks of our room 2 feet 2 inches wide—no setting room, 
meals in my bedroom large looking on the Square; French troops (on their 
way to Africa) drinking at the fountain— 


Expenses Pee awe 
posting 71... 10 
Passport by sia 
Bill 53. — 


Morez, May 18-79, (from Poligny, 37 miles). 


From Poligny we paid for a 4% horse, not attached, as it “would be 
dangerous” on mountain roads—Morez a rambling village sort of town in 
a mountain gorge; everything at the Inn vERy pirTy, on Sunday took two 
wandering walks alone, and one by the rivers side altogether, the people 
neat, evidently an improving place, clockmaking &c, left Morez at 9 o’clock 
commenced the ascent of the Jura, walked some way up with Mr C. on the 
road today, had the first view of montblanc between deep screens of dark 
pines, a vision, the summits, the whole outline clearly defined against a blue 
sky, while long low strata of cloud at the base, gave the whole a floating 
unearthly appearance,—gentianella & cowslip carpetted the Summit even of 
the Jura, while masses of rock diversified the plain “the greater mass of the 
Jura is oolite’’—continued the charge (a franc pr post) for cheval de Renfort 
to La Serque, tho’ the last stage the sabot was attached nearly the whole 
way! from La Serque a beautiful gradual descent presenting fine views of 
the Lake of Geneva, brought us to its shore at Nion, we continued our drive 
with the Lake on our left to Secheron— 


Expenses He We 
posting 56. — 
Bill yee) ike 
Cheese — 10. 


126 





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PAGE OF OMAN US CRIP TRE CORDES OU RO 1839 
Original, width 71% inches by height 9 inches 


CONTINENTAL TOUR OF 1839 


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SECHERON, May 20-23, ( from Morez, 37 miles). 


Secheron a Hotel standing in a garden on the lake shore, (L? Byron’s 
house nearly opposite) two miles short of Geneva—Teusday a drive to Ge- 
neva, through the principal streets & to the Junction of the Arve & Rhone, 
the two streams flowing side by side some distance without mixing their 
waters, the snow melted waters of the Arve marked distinctly from the deep 
blue Rhone, but good & evil cannot long dwell together with impunity— 
Teusday Evening a boat on the lake, (Lake of geneva 18 leagues long, broad 
I to 3), too cold, came in & had a fire—Thursday to Geneva; bought a 
watch; (70.000 made in a year); went to Calvin’s Church; a beautifully 
wrought pulpit of wood—Calvin’s grave not known, by his own desire— 
Friday through Coppet and Nion to Lausanne; the approach to Nion a 
pretty picture the Town rising abruptly from the Lake; a long, low spit of 
gravel with poplars, projecting far into its waters; backed by distant moun- 
tain of a deep blue purple. 


Expenses Tey 
posting 53. — 
Bill IIo, — 
Boats, Carriages, &c. 20. I0 
Carriage repairs 34. — 


Lausanne, May 24. (from Secheron, 54 miles) 


At Lausanne, we had rooms to the lake; a fatiguing town to walk in deep 
vallies, streets unpaved, no connexion of any of its ravines by bridges; 170 
covered steps, to the church, small square landings, with fountains and 
generally groupes of women washing vegetables, handsome church, many 
monuments, one to Mrs Stratford Canning, the fine arts mourning her loss— 
Saturday a fine drive through vinyards to Vevay, extensive views of Lake & 
Mountain to our right. Dent de Midi &c a misty vapour descended f™ the 
mountain & moved slowly across the lake, presenting all the colours of the 
rainbow, more blended, but so thin as to show the dark ong: of the moun- 
tain range through it— 


Expenses ie Ye 


posting cA To. 
Cheese — I0. 
Church T; ic. 


Bill (Hotel Gibbon) 40. — 


127 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


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Vevay, May 25-20, (from Lausanne, 12 miles) 


Sunday at Vevay, very cold, none of us well: no morning service on 
account of the militia assembling, the review before our windows in the 
square; M' C. went to Church in the evening—a steep and beautifully 
wooded hill (2 additional horses) out of Vevay; dined at Bulle exactly half- 
way to Freybourg; a curious neat old town, one wide roadstreet, a handsome 
church at the entrance; in a side road, we found a curious old chapel, small, 
the walls covered with pictures & images, the altar supported, and the can- 
opy over it, by spiral pillars; and many votive offerings; hung round; a poor 
countrymarentered, Knelt, and prayed, and crossed himself, then approached 
the altar, laid a piece of money on it, took up his staff & wallet, and passed 
out of the town! no other person was present, no priest, no worshipper. the 
Chapel is endowed with indulgences forever! 


Expenses. Fe Naas 
posting 16. 10. 
Bill Ly etn issy 
Dinner at Bulle. 6. 10. 


Frisourc, May 27-30, (from Vevay, 36 miles) 


Zahringer Hotel, on the bridge, walked to the Lycée, fine large rooms, a 
well arranged cabinet of natural history, for the use of the scholars; on the 
ground floor a theatre where the scholars perform; the establishment is 
under the superintdendance of the Jesuits; but was commenced under le 
pere girard; every thing clean & in order throughout the spacious house, a 
fine view from the roof from whence we saw several classes of the boys re- 
turning from their walk, each with a Jesuit at their head, all entered the 
adjoining pensionnal, where they live, only attending the Lyceum for study 
—there is likewise a fine observatory— 

E. C. & I took a beautiful walk across the great bridge & back by the 
small one; next day the same walk all three together. our rooms looked into 
the gardens of the monastery of St Augustine, the church dark, damp and 
smelly, from the vicinity of the burial ground, among other rarities, a skele- 
ton under a glass case, the ribs covered with precious stones, a crown on the 
head, rings on the finger bones, and a robe of ermine & crimson on which it 
laid! 

Thursday. Féte dieu. grand procession, prepared for over night or 
rather all night preparing; pictures, carpets &c covering the walls; large 
branches of trees, placed in vases of water, so that avenues of trees seemed 


128 





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PAGE OF EXPENSE ACCOUNT; TOUR OF 1839 
Original, width 7% inches by height 9 inches 


CONTINENTAL TOUR, OF 1839 

to have grown up in one night; the sun shone brightly but every window had 
lighted candles; 4 altars (reposovies) were erected in the open air, one by the 
mistress of our Inn, and placed just under the window from whence we viewed 
the procession—the first in order of march; the Cannon fired, the bells rang, 
and the streets were crowded, with country people in a variety of costume, 
Schools of boys came first; then chests of beautiful materials, enclosing relics, 
borne on mens shoulders, one in the shape of a silver hand and arm—also a 
bust of our saviour; then a figure of the virgin, full size in a dal/ dress; 
Capucines, Cordeliers, & augustines, & men carrying curious formed lan- 
terns attached to high poles, others with large candles; an organ carried on 
poles, played upon the whole way, bands of music likewise—children 
scattering flowers, others with incense, preceded the Bishop walking under 
a gorgeous canopy, attended by three superior priests, all dressed in brocaded 
garments, even to their shoes; the Bishop with the mitre on his head, per- 
formed mass, at each of the reposovies; all the people dropping on their 
Knees; when they had finished and proceeded on their way, we went to the 
Cathedral; where the procession soon followed, and High Mass was per- 
formed, a remarkable fine organ played on by the man who made it— 


Expenses Wee A 
en voiturier 62. — 
Church & bridge to make 


Berne, May 31. (from Fribourg, 18 miles). 


at Berne, crossed the Street to dine at the table d’hote, not good; re- 
turned and sat in the top room from whence a magnificent view of the alps, 
&c—in the evening E. C. walked with me to see the Bears! walked on the 
platform of the Cathedral, 100 ff above the River, had ices, at the Café— 


Expenses Fe ae 
Bill Zahringer Hotel 121. Io. 
Bridges & Cakes iC meT OK 
en voiturier 33. — 
Bridge, Church, &c Pw tes 
Bill 36.5 10; 


Tuun, June, (from Berne, 18 miles) 


a beautiful drive through a richly cultivated & wooded country; every 
3% or 4th house a small manufactory of earthen ware, the figures and colours 


129 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 
TNAPRAPRABNABNANNASRANNESNPNNANEPNAIN WEN GEN GEN DEN UENUPNGPNGENZPRABNSPNDNAD SAD SADT ALIAS NOP N AP NUP NWN UPN UPR UERLENUPNARADMADPADNN/NAD SEPA NUP NGA N ALN APN PRU PRYPR GPRS ERY ARY ERDAS AAD IRY IRSA PNAS Ned Nal tee 
reminded me of Delft ware. the earth is found near Thun—hired apartmenst 
at Henry Stury’s drawing & dining room. Kitchen & 3 bedrooms. Friday 
boat to Oberhoffen— 


Expenses Tea. 


en voiturier 32. — 


Belle Vue Hotel, 2 days. 67. — 


INTERLACHEN, June II. 


Tuesday, 11, to Interlachen, by Unterseen on the Aar, falls above & 
below the long wooden bridge; Schiller in his Guillaume Tell, thus speaks of 
the cottages, “‘ces maisons nouvelle nunt construites duplus beau bois de nos 
foréts, dout l’equerre a regle les, jointures, brillent de léclat de nombreux 
vitraux, que transmittent une vive lumiére aux apartemens commodes 
qu’elles renferment; des armoires bigarrées de diverses conteurs sont peintes 
sur leurs facades, entremétees de sages maximes; le passant Sarréte pour les 
lire, et en admirer la justice et le sens”’ 

One House has the date 1530—another 1650—a league from Unterseen 
the ruins of Unspunnen where the signal of Independance eminated w 
united Berne & Hasti—entered the valley of Saxeten the torrent of Sulisbach 
crossed the road, falling into the Lutschine Blanche, the stream of the valley 
of Lauterbrunnen (pure fountain) walked from the pretty inn to the fall of 
the Staubbach (dust) 800 feet without touching the rock—this trip 48 miles; 
Thun lake 10 miles, Interlachen 4—Lauterbrunnen 1o— 

Wednesday, a drive to the Simmenthal as far as the bridge of wemyss; 
clambered up the wooded hill on the opposite side; returned by the Kander, 
got out to look on the bridge which crosses the new cut made to divert the 
river from its ancient course, and save land; the plants of the High alps I 
was told, are to be seen on the Delta, w' the mountain torrent has formed in 
the lake— 

June 18. Tuesday, breakfasted with Miss Strehl, M' Rissold and a sister 
of Miss S. talked of the Church M! R. being a minister; the Luther, Calvin, 
Zwingle clergy £60 to £130 besides Glebe and house— 

June 29—by steamer & Interlachen (the little plain of Interlachen 4 
miles long f™ 1 to 3 broad) to Burger on the lake of Brientz, a boat to the 
fall of the Giesbach; walked to the fall opposite the House too hot to proceed 
beyond; crossed the lake to Brientz, where we dined; and bought some 
boxes of the beautiful carved work; all done by hand, in the cottages 
during the winter; principally in Maple & Ivy—in the evening we were 


130 


=f 








MARTIGNY, 1839 
Original, width 6 inches by height 8 inches 


CONTINENTAL TOUR TOF 1839 


Ata ee aaa AAAI ATIATIALIAL ATM a Ta AAA ALA AT ini Til il LY al hel el a Al LATTA a BPNSPRAMNAMRAMNAMNPNRPN API NI NAAN AMEND 


Jolted to Meyringen in a cart; very hot as the walls of mountain narrowed in 
towards the head of the valley; Mr C. and I, wandered at the back of the 
Jug to see the falls, one had broke its bounds the year before, and spread 
misery & desolation around, a poor idiot, offered to be our guide—next morn- 
ing early left le sauvage; to breakfast at the Hotel des Bains, at the foot of 
the Reichenbach falls, M' C. walking with me first, to the top of the Hill, 
useless toil the finest view of the falls, being close to the Inn—the family of 
Burkes staying there; a beautiful drive through Brientz home. 

26 to Grindlewald (Wednesday) through Interlachen—Slept at the 
aisle, exactly opposite the inferior fall, the Mittenburgh divides the two 
glaciers; we walked down the beautiful green grassy hill, dotted with neat 
little cottages, to the arch of Ice formed by the Lutschine noir; large blocks 
of ice lay around us, and a solid wall of the same much higher than ourselves 
on the right of the river; we sat long at our window watching the long 
shadows of evening, and the moon rising behind the Mittenburgh, but the 
mountain was too lofty to let us see the planet—early next morning I was 
out, (my bedroom was over the Kitchen!) wandering here and there; up the 
mountain path, then round the romantic little church &c the population of 
this curious little valley, is from 2 to 3000, the law allows no transference of 
small portions of property, meadowland, mountain grazings, & wood must 
go together; no choice in willing it away, the estate is divided into equal 
portions, and the children draw lots,—the village is more than 3000 feet 
above the sea—a young man (M! Atherly) breakfasted with us, and we 
_ afterwards overtook him walking & he accompanied us to Interlachen, 
where we dined and returned home by steamboat— 

29. Snow on the Hills—Laboures pay, 9 Batzen (a franc) at Thun. from 
the Lake of Thun is seen the Jungfrau, 2 Eisers, the Shriekhorn, Blumlis, & 
Finsteraarhorn—the highest alp after Mont Blanc— 


Expenses. I re Dore 
Board, 7 days hie see. 
Boats &c 8. 10 
Hanks & string 5S. 
Board 7 days 99.. 6 
Steamboat, Carriage &c 33. I0. 
Board 7 days S4. 13. 
Steamboat &c SOM AIO! 
Board 6 days 92. 14. 
Steam, Carriage &c. AZ iss 


131 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 

In the grounds of Mt Rousemont, sous unchéne dont le haste ombrage 
invite a s’y reposer. Telus un inscription consacrée a la memoire d’un ancien 
troubadour, Henri de Stretlingen; d’une noble race, qui, dit on a produit des 
rois fit entendre a cette place meme les sous de la lyre; tout pris de la, la 
tombe du chevalier est presque cachée sous |’epais gazon qui lénvironne, il 
est representé debout, dans un attitude religeuse; et la lyre instrument de la 
gloire, et la lion symbole de sou courage raposent a les pieds. 

the Scite of the ancient castle of the family, on the opposite shore of the 
lake, is marked by one of its towers, now a gunpowder depot— 

Monday (July 1) to Interlachen, a Féte at the church of O’Steig? on 
Tuesday. Monday evening walked to Unterseen, next morning at 8 o’clock, 
had a carriage and followed the procession, consisting of a band of music, 
300 schoolmasters and their best scholars, singing the national airs; during 
the rehearsal, at the church, we wandered in the romantic neighborhood, and 
sat sometime in the ministers house, whose garden terrace was washed by 
the river. the gallery of the country unornamented little church was filled by 
visitors, as well as the yard, the collection of songs very beautiful, all 
vocal—it was evening before we returned, when the performers had Tables 
spread for their meal under the magnificent walnut trees of the ancient con- 
vent, after dinner some singing, & then they all dispersed a dance in the 
evening!—wednesday a walk alone across the bridge before breakfast; 
afterwards all three lounged away the morning on the beautiful ground over- 
looking the Lake of Brientz; two children sang to us; and some men in a 
boat, rowing across the lake delighted us by their sweet voices—returned 
by the 3 o’clock boat— 


Saturday the 6‘ Oberhoffen for the day, a village of old Swiss houses; 
Boat there and back, 6 francs (2 rouiers). an expedition by water likewise, 
with a young dutchman to Spietz, the castle with its fine trees, quite a pic- 
ture; Thursday to Berne for money, back in the evening 20 francs—Sunday, 
church, M! Pococke, 214 steps—1st drive to Thierhacken; magnificent 
populus alba; home by Wemyss, what can be more beautiful than the 
entrance to the Simmenthal? 


18th (Thursday) School féte at Miss Strehl’. Spent the morning alone in 
the Valley of Kohlerin! 


“Avec leurs grands sommets, leurs glaces eternelles, 
Par unsoleil d’éte, que les alpes sont belles! 
Tout dans leurs frais valons serta nous enchanter, 
La verdure, les eaux, les bois, les fleurs nouvelles, 
Heureux qui sur ces bords pent longtemp s’arreter, 
Heureux qui les revoit, s’il a da les quitter.” 


132 





soyoul 11 yysroy Aq sayour %Lr YIpIM “[eUIsUIG 
LEgr SANVIONGA SHOIMUON SAOVId—-LIAYUVN 





CONTINENTAL PRES OF ue39 


SPIAT IAP Ln el | PINPSVAIPN ANAS AAlArialris Nat yatyarnse Nanysn The Leal a AL AAA iAlialialial ial ia Tillie NANA LNA ALIA ALI ALAA LAliaAriaAl is Nat yuPyar NAPUAPNAPNAP RAIN AINA A VALS 


Expenses te POF 
Board 7 days. This 710 
Interlachen, Oberhoffen &c. 38. 12 
Board 7 days 85. 10. 
Spietz, Reed &c. ee ee 
Berne 204 0. 
Board 7 days. GI wr <9: 
Thierhacken, Wemyss &c. 7 — 
Board 7 days Rives 
Lodging 8 weeks. 430. — 
Carriage stand I5. — 
Washing & greasing }. = 
Passport &c. RemiOs 


at Signau, where we stopped to dine, the landlord spoke only German, 
we made signs for our dinner, which proved a very good one. afterwards 
walked across the towered bridge, met a monk, with his brown ample gown; 
the monastery seen from the river on a height— 


Expenses eran 
dinner Ae 


Entlebuch, walked to the church after breakfast, service; a small pot of 
holy water near the graves and small brooms with which most of the women, 
sprinkled the sod—young man his bride & sister at Tea made us laugh with 
some tales of his travels— 


Expenses. eek Oe 
Bill 17, — 


Lucerne, Fuly 30. (from Thierhacken 60 miles) 


the evening after our arrival at Lucerne, took a boat to Seebourg, a pretty 
boarding house, on the Lake; a lovely evening, dark before we returned; the 
Lake is 9 Leagues long, Gyn exceeds I in breadth. Aug? 2. to Weegis, by 
water, (magnificent scenery, bay of Uri!) carried up to Righi Koulen, in arm 
chairs 3 men to a chair, one carrying our bags, as we slept or rather had beds 
on the top of the hill, in a long low cabin; of a place only inhabited in Sum- 


133 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 

mer; the night was clear & cold, by 2 o’clock we were dressed and out, the 
stars soon were lost in the brilliant dawn, as unfortunately for effect, the 
sun rose without a cloud; after a hurried breakfast, 300 people all wanting 
to be served at once; in the long cabin room; we walked down the hill; resting 
often; to admire the grand views, Major Willock soon passed us—we sat 
some time in the little chapel half way; always open for the pilgrims prayers, 
numerous votive offerings in the models of all parts of the human frame, to 
record various cures!—the Valleys were filled with vapour lying still on the 
Lakes; but as the sun’s rays touched the white and fleecy strata the masses 
moved, rolling like billows, raised here and there as arched entrances to deep 
caverns, just giving us a peep at the beauty Lake, or emerald green islet, 
and then veiled from our sight; like a vision in the mirror of an enchanter— 
before we reached Wiggis all was bright sunshine. I threw myself on a bed 
and had a long sleep; a beautiful clean little Inn on the Lake shore, & very 
pretty village, tempted me to wander through it, & into the Church Yard, 
all neat, quite a new saint, lately sent from Rome, under a glass case as 
usual; beneath the alter—I crossed the road and found a delightful seat 
under some walnut trees in a cottage garden, with a fine view of the Lake 
below me—returned in the evening to Lucerne, pretty walks around; one by 
the road above the Swiss Lion, stations all the way to a neat village & 
church. another morning by the river side; one of the covered bridges 1370 
feet long; 


Expenses Les 
en voiturier 114 days. 95. — 
Boat to Seebourg. (31). 2. 3 
passeport 3. — 
Steamer. 9:°— 
Chaises a porteurs (3) 58 — 
Bill at the Righi 50. 
do at Wiggis Tri 1s 


Augt 6—(Lucerne)—on Tuesday Steamer to Fluellen, then two miles to 
Altdorf by omnibus; the village town situated in a rich country, but the 
people miserably poor, all assembled in the church, when dusk, & in the 
morning at dawn for service, the monastery above the Church, a fine situa- 
tion; entered a small chapel underground, many worshippers; and a wooden 
ass, part of the procession with a man to personate our saviour on its back, 
at certain holy festivals—a beautiful walk in the environs before breakfast, 
then “‘per Italia” a drive up Sf Gothard, rested the Horses at Amsteg; slept 
at Hospenthal, a dirty desolate spot andermat w? be better? 4500 feet above 
the sea, the Tesin & Reuss both rise on St Gothard, the first passing through 


134 





soyoult 6 yYyslay Aq sayoUl g YIPIM “[RUISLIGC 
sayour 6 yysray Aq sayour L yIpIa “PeuIsUgd : 


VO! aD VOOrT 
a ¢ ¢ c 3 
SRL ONV IO Ne A Se S YINUNL ONIAYAVI AUILAOd HSIMANAL 





CONTINENTAL TOUR OF 1839 

the Lake of Lucarno, to the Po; the second by the valley of Sf Gothard, and 
Lake of Lucerne to the Aar & Rhine—we left the green plain of Uri early, 
¥% a league from andermat, pass through a perforated granite rock, a small 
chapel to the left hangs over the rushing Reuss. we cross the devils Bridge, 
for two leagues the banks form a succession of tremendous precipices; the 
valley then widens, the rocks, not quite so precipitous, first walnut trees 
begin to appear, cottages & potatoe grounds! & now and then a Hamlet, 
warm stripes, & little plains, upon the river side; we walked some way, and 
looked down on one little strath of rich bright green, trees scattered & 
grouped on its surface, walled in by rocks, on three sides, and then niched in 
a mountain cleft, not seen at first, a cabin! as we descended the meadows 
became more frequent, pear trees as well as walnuts and cherries, cottages 
& hamlets, and cattle, & the river, (Reuss), leaping joyously along. what 
glorious views! the Canton of Uri is R. C. and dependent on the Bishop 
of Chur, government, a voice in the gen. assemb. at 20. we dined at Alt- 
dorf and returned to Lucerne by steam the same evening— 


Expenses. Iie any 
St Gothard &c. 120913: 
Bill Lucerne Te3q0 10, 
Dinner Schopfen 5. 


Lanonau, Aug? 9. 


Langnau, a popolous Swiss village, large houses, the principal portion 
round the church on the hill, where I walked before breakfast; famous in 
former times for its water doctor. the people looked well, & the houses all a 
la Suisse, beautiful—melancholy sunday, farewell to Thun, on Monday 
morning the last look at the Blumlis, thought it more brilliant than ever. we 
passed through the town, nodding to many a well Known face, and soon 
entered the lovely Simmenthal; at Erlenbach we stopped to see the church, 
at the foot of the steps attracted by young voices singing; found a school in 
an upper room where the schoolmaster, was giving his scholars a singing 
lesson, we bought the 4 music books, & proceeded up the hill, above the 
church, the ministers house, we met part of the family & were invited to call, 
but had not time; it is beautifully situated, the Stockhorn at the back, and 
from the front the view up the valley is superb. we were told he takes 
boarders—it was nearly dark when we passed down the hill to Gessenay; 
and we started early, yet I found time to run up before breakfast to see the 
House & church of w* Mr Strehl is minister; the drive both ways was 


135 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 
splendid, a succession of beautiful pictures, particularly La Tine a wooded 
pass. dark by the time we reached Chatel, where we slept in dirt! 


Expenses PP ENSS 
Bill (Langnau). 15. — 
Belle vue hotel (Thun) Eee a ce 
envoiturier 114 day, O67.) Sac. 
School at Erlenbach 2. — 
Luncheon at _ do. I. — 
Bill (Gessenay). Io. — 
Breakfast (Chateau —d’cef) 5. — 
Dinner (Bulle). 72 — 
Bill (Chatel). 8. — 


Lausanne, Aug! 15-16, ( from Thun, 80 miles) 


little beauty in the drive till we again descended the steep hill by the 
bevaise, dined at the 2 o’clock table d’hote, and a lovely evening drive on 
the lakeside brought us to Lausanne. Mrs Brown en pension, 5 Louis a 
month; 40 francs winter firing—walked the last evening to Montalegre— 
Hotel des Bergues, 12 francs a day, 4 rooms in D. Etage—on the road to St 
Martin stopped two hours at Bonneville, crossed the Arne by a handsome 
stone bridge. fine statue to the left—after passing through Cluses a romantic 
valley, (3 priests walking), stopped at a lonehouse at Maglau but declined 
ascending to the grotto of La Balme, at the entrance to these caverns a few 
days before, ‘une anesse” was devoured by a wolf. “les rochers de celle ci 
presentent une stratification tourmenteé extremement remarquable”—not 
much sleep owing to the Countess—nearly shook limb from limb, in a char 
a banc—very civil honest driver, as a compensation stopped at the little 
village of Servoz, with its neat church & fine view of the snow mountains— 

Wednesday morning the mountains with an additional covering of 
snow, fallen during the night, a sharp frost, men busy watering the po- 
tatoes; Mont Blanc beautifully clear against a bright blue sky; the snow 
fell at times, but about midday, we ordered our mules, and crossing the 
long wooden bridge, kept the valley of the Arne, someway, and then as- 
cended, the little mountain path to Montanvert, various attacks on our 
purses all the way up, an old man disabled by a fall from a mountain; an 
orphan family, with some musical pipes, &c. the snow came thickly on, but 
to encourage us, the clouds soon passed over & the sun appeared, it proved 
a lovely evening; left our mules at the chalet on the top, and walked down 


136 





sayour %g ySiay Aq Sayoul %TI YIpim “[eulsiug 
Cer “sino, £0 ASalug 





CONTINENTAL TOUR OF 1839 

to Latner de Glace a waterfall between two masses of ice, 300 ft said the 
guide; a stone thrown by him down the chasm, did not touch the bottom of 
the “crevasse” till I had counted 12 slowly—the sun dispersing the vapoury 
clouds, which still hung round the bases of the mountains, gave us glimpses, 
to advantage; of l’aigville de dru, in colour and shape these pinnacles of 
mountains are perfect; but the debris continually blowing over the glacier, 
communicates a dirty appearance. M! de Saussure first visited Chamounix 
in 1760—a large collection of minerals &c at the Chalet, where we had some 
bread & cheese. the guide informed me that the inhabitants of the valley if 
industrious need not want, as each may procure from his own land clothes 
& food in the summer, sufficient for winter consumption; wood the only 
article they need purchase is cheap. a guide with a good mule may clear 
about £10 in the season—land is dear, but don’t often change masters; the 
inhabitants, a fine tall athletic race have few disorders; pleurisy, the prin- 
cipal. I walked in the evening of the first day, to the handsome church, and 
wandered in the pretty fields, all hands getting in the harvest. 


Expenses EP eas: 
From Thun to Vevay. 140. — 
Dinner ieee ale) 
posting (Lausanne) LOB TO. 
Ices, cakes, grapes &c. 2a meanis: 
Wheels, Sabot &c. cee ao} 
Bill Hotel Gibbon 76618: 
posting (Geneva) 54. — 
Luncheon I. — 


en voiturier (St Martin) 42. — 


Luncheon I — 
Bill 17 — 
Charabanc (Chamounix) 22 — 
to the Arveiron 3. — 
Mules & guides 31. — 
Lunch, Music, old man 1 4 
Bill AD, 10; 
Boy at Baths of St 

Gervais — I5 


137 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


CIVLIVAIVAIVALTALIATIATIATIALIATIAL IAT iT id Pid til Cl a Pa TATA T ATTA TAL AL IAL ALIA IAL Ari i i el il el Ta AAA AAA i i 


Charabanc (St Martin) 18. — 


Bill 2 sie 
Luncheon (Bonneville) 3. — 
en voiturier (Geneva) 28. — 
Bill (les Bergues) 196. 10 
passport 7 — 
Music at Dinner — 10 


commenced our Journey to Italy, by L? Byron’s side of the Lake, the 
rain came down too heavy to quite enjoy, this pretty environ of Geneva; 
we dined at Thonon; still rain; it cleared in the evening, and we enjoyed a 
very clean Inn, & good situation, at Gingough, opposite Chillon—dined at 
Martigny; a fine drive from thence through the Valley of the Rhone, St 
Maurice one arch of 200 feet the work of the Romans; “il s’appuie d’un 
coté contre la base de la Dent du Midi, et de |’autre contre celle de la Dent 
de Mordes, de sept a huit milles pieds de hauteur.” 

Stopped to look at the Pissevache, on the right, an inferior fall of the 
same kind on the left—a beautiful country, 3 castles in ruins on isolated 
rocks, in view of each other, said to have been built by 3 brothers, brigands— 
groups of peasantry, returning from work, looked well dressed & happy, as 
we approached the picturesque town of Sion, but the narrow filthy streets, 
soon damped our hopes of comfort, and the long passages, and staircases, 
and inner courts of an old rambling Inn, with the matted hair of our slov- 
enly attendant, prepared us for the dirt of our rooms, damp & smelly, we 
ordered a fire & tea; while our femme de chambre was making our beds (lace 
trimmed coverlids) she told us, ‘‘Monseigneur (X herself) est un brave 
homme, si gros (her hands on her hips) si gras (her hands to her cheeks) il est 
brave homme.”’ this brave homme the archbishop is building himself a 
handsome palace, at the entrance to the town close to the Cathedral where 
we picked our way in the morning; through dirty narrow streets (a pig killing 
in the midst) & saw a most disgusting image of our Saviour—continued 
along the valley passing some very miserable villages, squalid people, 
marshy land, Visp in particular all swamp. 

dined at Turtmagne, a neat Inn, walked through the dirty village at its 
back, to see a fall, and then to a neat little church we reached Brieg that 
night, the approach very pretty, and the little Town itself clean & handsome, 
principally convents & monasteries; a very handsome church of the Jesuits 
on the top of the hill; many portraits, the back ground of one, a lobster in 
the Sea making to the shore with a cross in his mouth, the Sun set gloriously, 
and before he had risen next morning, we were in the carriage, commencing, 
by Lanthorn light, our ascent of the Simplon at 4 o’clock; there are 7 houses 


138 








Loos 


height 16 


) 


BLIND BEGGAR WITH GUIDE 


inches 


y 


inches b 


l, width 12% 


igina 


Or 


CONTINENTAL TOUR OF 1839 

of refuge in the Vallais side of the pass, & 3 on the Italian—between the 
fifth & sixth is the danger from avalanches, f™ the glacier of the Saltine 
w® pursues its course through this awfully beautiful valley in its way to 
Brieg—the custom house is at the 6" refuge, where we met our own horses; 
the ascent occupied 7 hours, walking the four horses; half an hour brought 
us to the Hospice, half an hour more through an wide grassy valley, to the 
village of the Simplon; winter here lasts 8 months; we dined here, if the 
Table d’hote fare prepared for the diligence deserved such a title, the Monk 
& other travellers were satisfied apparently, for right merry & voracious 
they were, but the Englishers did not much relish the water soup ladled 
from a brobdignag tureen, and the cutlets of old goats flesh, called by cour- 
tesy Chamois, many other dishes equally tempting, formed no inducement 
to loiter over our meal; the Monk seemed a chearful sensible man, of polite 
manners;—a wonderful drive through the valley of Gondo, walked some 
way, to admire the watéful of Frascinodi, close to the gallery of 596 feet 
pierced through granite. then came the custom house; while standing in this 
wild spot, was an unintentional witness of the killing a lamb! Soon the beauti- 
ful Italy opened to our view, with its gentle hills dotted with white houses, 
well wooded meadows with cattle, country houses like palaces, & vines train’d 
en Berceau & {™ Tree to Tree; there was too much of grand & beautiful 
in this days journey, and though the evening was still delicious, we were 
glad to drive into the Inn Yard of Domo d’ossola; 2 good rooms, airy, and 
matcovered, with a chearful view, till I approached the window and beheld 
the market square, & slaughter spot, for all creatures are brought alive, & I 
saw a bargain made for a goat, the money paid, when the buyer and seller 
turned the old fellow on his back & killed him. I took care not to look 
again. next morning grapes & figs on the breakfast table, it rained towards 
evening, heavily as we waited at the Ferry; that conveyed us to Sesto 
Calende, passports demanded on both sides of the water, Inn on the water 
side, very dirty; large room, cold acid supper. 

a beautiful drive on the shore of the Lago Maggiore, a luncheon at 
Baveno, and boat to the Islands; the carriage meeting us some miles beyond. 
the Lake about 8 miles across, depth 1800 ft 

Isola Bella, the water washes the palace walls; a grand flight of steps 
f™ the lake, walked through the grand suite of rooms full of pictures, 
statues &c all solitary; a lower suite of rooms for summer, even with the 
water, paved, lined & cov(er)ed with various coloured marbles, spars, 
shells &c—marble statues—Buonaparte always dined here, during his stay— 
garden with more fancy than beauty formed in a pyramid, Io terraces termi- 
nating in a square platform, the partierres watered by fountains that fall in 
sheets from marble vases; it was so hot we only ascended the first terrace, 
the area of the pyramid 400 ft square, platform atop 50 ft square, elevation 


139 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 

1so ft the laurels immense frees—a mile north of Isola Bella, lies Isola 
Madre, the boat landed us at the foot of a long flight of stone steps (in ruins), 
the house falling into decay looked sad, the Countess seated in the large 
faded drawing room, but the garden how shall I describe its beauty, the 
terraces with their divine views, shaded by laurels, cypress, pines; the exotic 
shrubs w! we treasure in hothouses, here exalting themselves into trees, and 
breathing fragrance around— 

Isola Madre is too beautiful for this world, yet no one resides here, so 
no doubt there is some “peacock on the wall” though we did not hear him 
scream. we continued our drive on the lake shore bought some peaches; all 
very ill, M's C. very! passed the statue of Sf Charles Borromea, the ruins 
of the castle where he was born, on the adjoining hill—dined at Buon Jesu— 
& arrived late in Milan. our rooms looked on a narrow street, crowds of 
people in groupes, listeners to the beautiful singing, or witty improvisitori 
for it was Sunday, & all was amusement! my companions had no sleep from 
the noise, and we moved next morning to a quiet Inn in a square, very near 
the Cathedral, where I passed my mornings before breakfast—it is of gothic 
order, no screen, the chancel only seperated by its elevation, and a slight 
railing, across the top of the steps, no chapels, commonly so called, the 
ambrosian right only allowing one altar; altars are now in plenty, but so 
placed as not to disfigure the building, the pillars very slight, rather 
clusters of them 52—height 90 feet, diameter 8—length of Church 490 ff, 
breadth 298—under the dome 258 ft high, statues inside & out reported to 
be 4000—the whole of the Chancel erected by St Charles Borromeo—the 
facade, long in a ruinous condition, was finished by Napoleon—two large 
pulpits stand on each side of the chancel entrance, that on the right for read- 
ing the gospels rests on 4 bronze animals mentioned in Ezekiel, the left 
pulpit is supported by 4 doctors of the Latin Church—went to look for 
Lodgings, with Miss N. & Mrs B.—z small bedrooms, antichamber & sitting 
room, all on a floor, in the Porta orientale, 110 franks the month—a flat for 
a family, large good rooms, 300 f p' m. meat 8? pf Ib. fowls $ ¢ the 
couple—we returned by the ambrosian library (see Byrons Journal)—this 
was close to our Inn— 

Tuesday to the Palace, no pictures, the most superb hangings of fine 
Damask on the walls; 3 ballrooms, marble floors, the others parquetage— 
spent some time on the roof of the Cathedral—in the evening, a drive, 
stopped at the church of St Ambrose . . . then to the church of . . . all, 
every spot, painting and gilding, the roof in compartments, deep blue ground 
—3? church worked screens for the altar on grand days—went to see Leo- 
nardo di Vinci’s last supper, the original—returned by the corso; where every 
one drives before the theatre opens, le scala—one evening walked to a very 
dirty part of the town to see the fragments of Baths, before the parochial 


140 





fale Lid 


SS SSS ESE 














GRAND OPERA HOUSE, PARIS, 1833 
Original, width 71% inches by height 5 inches 





THE SNUFF TAKER, 1843 COPY 
Original, width 2 inches by height 3% inches HOLBEIN, 1842 


OF SELF-PORTRAIT OF HANS 


Original, width 3 inches by height 4 inches 


CONDINENTAL TOUR OF 1839 
Church of St Lorenzo, 3 or four corinthian columns fluted of white marble 
with their architrave, in Eustaces time there were 16—it was nearly dark 
when we followed the croud into the church collecting for vespers! the 
country round Milan uninteresting & flat, poor people look unhealthy, 
dwarfs, goitres &c. 


Expenses ieee: 
Boat &c Borromean Isles eh eis) 
peaches — 10, 
Geneva to Milan 642. — 
Music — 12. 
Bill (Grand Bretagne). 29. — 


Lake of Como 40 miles long, took a boat in the evening; Sunday to 
Church. very poor after Milan, as you enter Statue of Pliny, on each side 
inscriptions to his honor—in the evening, candles placed on the ground 
before the Inn, a circle formed; & some excellent performers in dancing 
singing &c. 

Monday we proceeded, through a captivating country, wooded hills & 
waterfalls, & villas, stopped 3 hours at Lecco, no view from the Inn. I 
walked out for some fruit, and wandered on the Lake side. the drive from 
hence magnificent to the right hills covered below with vines (en berceau) 
figs & pomgranites, above villas & woods of Chesnut &c on the left a low 
parapet alone separated us from the Lake, hundreds of Lizards were sport- 
ing in the sun, here and there small spaces with ten or twelve trees & seats, 
$p-°48 arrived about sunset at Varena. the approach beauty; the little town 
juts into the lake at the foot of a lofty hill, crowned with a ruined castle, 
back’d by distant mountains of a rich purple; cypress Trees interspersed 
with the white houses; and this lovely picture, mirrored in the still Lake be- 
fore us— 


Expenses tp 
Bill (LaCroix de Malte. TOG, iC. 
passport I. — 
Carriage & lights pee Gy: 
Mending box. 2. — 
Boat & Music (Como) 4. — 
Bill ts BLO. 
Lunch at Lecco. 40? 


141 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 

Arose at 5. commenced our ascent of the Splugen, through woods of 
chestnut, & cattle feeding in brilliant verdure, the peasants and their cot- 
tages good-looking comfortable. passed through 3 galleries 1530, 642. & 700 
ff long; so steep is the wall of rock, which we zigzagged up, that on looking 
over the parapet of the upper one, we could not discover the one beneath— 
at the little village of Pianezzo, we left the carriage, to look down on the 
beautiful fall of the Medesimo, which here throws itself over the precipice 
800 feet, a diamond fall! 

As we descended on the grison side, the views were wild & desolate, but 
this did not last for as we neared the Splugen village, the views in the valley 
were very pretty, we stopped half an hour at the Inn, the master spoke 
English; the richly wooded and rural valley, with its beautifully meander- 
ing river, along w* we now proceeded, made me think of England. The 
Romanesch language is universal here, the master of the Inn at Andeer, 
with difficulty spoke a little French (Earl & Countess of Meath), next morn- 
ing the open valley, soon closed into a wonderful & fearful pass, (via mala) 
I rode some way outside, at one spot the Rhine quite lost beneath the over- 
hanging rocks on either side; the road a little beyond a shelf! the opening 
towards Thusis on leaving the gorge, very fine, on one side a hill of 400 feet, 
surmounted by the ruined castle of Realt, on a neighbor hill the ruined 
chapel of St John seem to bar the Valley. Piz Beveren guards the defile to 
the left—passed through Reichman junction of the two Rhines, a chearful 
looking town, with good gardens, Philip of France tutor here—dined at 
Coire or Chur at the Capricorn, outside the old town & it was so hot I had 
not courage to cross the bridge & look at it. Daniel Denz, gave us some 
capital mutton at the public table only charging 2 francs—Coire is the cap- 
ital of the Grisons, & residence of the Roman Catholic Bishop, though reck- 
oned a protestant canton, two thirds of the people professing that religion. 


Expenses RY: 
Accident on the Splugen. 2. — 
Bill (Andeer) 22. — 
Dinner (Coire) I~ 


VarENA, Sep! 9, (from Como, 30 miles) 


At Varena our rooms looked to the Lake, only the garden slope between, 
lights on the shore at various distances & the stars reflected in the calm Lake 
in long pillars of silver light, while a little boat with its warm gleaning ray, 
moved under the dark island opposite. all these, and the soft sweet air were 


142 





sayour 6 yys1ay Aq sayout Cr YyIpIM “[euIsUGO 
bEQr SANAOS IVLINANILNOO 





COMMU NEN TAL OURO FYI 839 
too inviting to permit me to close my eyes willingly, & again & again I re- 
turned to the balcony— 

I was early up and on the shores, every step I walked, fresh beauties— 
after breakfast our drive continued on the lake side, (bought some grapes) 
passed through several galleries; then a wide plain; a long flat marsh; 
quantities of green, bright green frogs, caught one to examine it; at the 
lone house where we watered the horses, and had some delicious bread and 
cheese, sacks full of the frogs alive, for sale, snakes the same beautiful green 
—pretty approach to Chiavenna, an old town nestled in the Hills, every 
possible spot covered with vines, a little one arched bridge, over a rushing 
torrent, carried us to the steep street which led to the Inn open and chear- 
ful; in the evening walked to the Church, disgusting sculls in the bone 
house, dated & some named, one 1837, with long black hair! 


Expenses toma ews 
Bill (Varenna) 23. — 
Cheese & grapes i te 
Bill (Bugle Horn, Chiavenna) 19. Io. 
Sabot (new shod) 8. — 
Bread, Ham, Rasps, &c. ae len 


intended to visit Pfeffers from Ragatz, but arrived too late owing to the 
dilatory, obstinate conduct of Cartoni—next morning after a miserable 
breakfast, a beautiful drive to Wallenstadt 3 hours; got out to gather some 
apples—some trouble in placing the carriage on board the steamer, exorbi- 
tant charges for the same—the Lake was much agitated by the wind; and 
by the time we arrived at Wesen, the storm was very violent; after a very 
good dinner we proceeded through the valley of the Linth, meadows & 
orchards, with large comfortable farm houses, and well dressed peasantry— 
Uznach, where Cartoni chose to stop, is a pretty little neat town on a hill, 
very clean Inn, but not being the usual resort of travellers, the Tea equi- 
page was droll! our road next morning was very pretty, through vineyards 
& orchards, to Rapperschwyl (in Sf Gall), a picturesque old town on a 
promontory that juts into the Lake of Zurich; & is continued across the 
Lake by a bridge 34 of a mile long, leading to Einsedlin; we ought to have 
slept here, at the Paon d’or, a very pretty Inn, situated in a garden—on the 
road groupes of Pilgrims, singing & counting their beads—kept the Lake 
side to Zurich, chearful scenery round the Lake, view from the Inn roof, 
very fine; likewise from the bridge; the 24 bridge, the fruit market at sun 


143 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


PNMPNDPNGPNGPNSENAPAAPNDSNASRDSAD SAA NAAN GL NAAN GEN UPN PNUPRMERSPRDBAARRIERANAS SOPRA NAA NAS NAP Nu NES Naf NaF NUP RUPRDPRDPRSPASAAARNAMASSAP NEPAD Naf NaF Nu PAuP Nu PRDPASPRYPASEASARARA SRA SIRNAS RAS SEP Neh whl 


rise. Hotel Baum across the bridge very magnificent. Cartoni with 4 horses 
70 francs p' day; 100 francs if fed—no pay for Sunday— 


Expenses gee iy. 
Bill (Ragatz) I5. — 
Steamer, 16 miles clefeury ds) 
Dinner (l’Epee) Saeio: 
Bill (Uznach) I5. — 
Milan to Zurich 510. — 


Bill (Couronne, Zurich) 56,0850 
Bread & grapes. —— 


Francois Cartoni, took us to Schaffhausen, on the road distant views of 
the alps, woody middle grounds, & rural scenery in front; it was dark when 
we descended a very steep hill into Schaffhausen, a curious old town; Houses 
covered with carving painting & inscriptions, in German, Italian, & Latin; 
the house opposite our Inn, quite covered, with heroes on horseback, bat- 
tles processions, &c, mottoes “da gli amici guardi Dio, da gli immici mi 
guardro io’’—a carriage to the falls at 6 returned to breakfast by 8, in the 
carriage by nine o’clock—returned to our posting with 3 horses, Unicorn fash- 
ion—a dull drive to St Georges, steep barren hills leading us to extensive 
plains like Salisbury—the highest ground in the black forest; after St 
Georges, entered the new road through Hollenthal, a little Simplon hut in 
lieu of grand views, this valley was rural & comfortable, but very pictur- 
esque; I grieved that the night came before we reached Fryberg, and the 
postillion only speaking German, very nearly sent us to Homberg, and then 
we should have lost a beautiful morning drive; Mr C. walked before we 
started to see a waterfall; close to the house—we breakfasted at the pretty 
village of Homberg; still in the valley of the Gutach, comfortable cottages 
a la Suisse, but with deep thatched roofs; well clad peasantry; men, large 
round beaver hats (some cocked) russet breeches, & white stockings, with 
scarlet waistcoats brown serge coats, generally at work with full short shirt 
sleeves—the women large brimmed straw hats, with black rosettes or rather 
tufts, otherwise like swiss—small clocks at the Inn—after leaving this 
valley, a large plain well cultivated brought us to Khil, a straggling town; 
& dirty Inn where we remained to avoid the Douaniers of Strasburg who 
have a hard character! 

a carriage at 7 conveyed us to Strasburg, on the Ill; across 2 bridges of 
boats; drawbridges, moats & all the usual ugly avenues to a fortified town. 
the inside of the cathedral, disappointing, poor & cold, no fine pictures, no 


144 





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IVQI “LSVOO HSITONT NUYFHLUON NO FUOHSYV dIHs 





CONTINENTAL TOUR OF 1839 

carving but the pulpit; the spire 474 feet from the pavement—the market 
in the square fronting the cathedral, bought some grapes;—drove to St 
Thomas to see the monument of Marshal Saxe, he is represented descend- 
ing to the tomb, with a tranquil air, the lid of the sarcophagus held open by 
a finely executed draperied skeleton (Death) while a Female figure (France) 
would stop his progress—returned to Kehl & after a bad breakfast proceeded 
to Baden— 


Expenses Tee ae 
en voiturier 64. 10. 
Bill (Faucon: Schaffhausen) 20. — 
Carriage to the Falls ee ihe 
Basket, &c. 2. — 
posting 71. — 
Bill (Fryberg). 12, — 
Breakfast (Homberg) ees 
posting ay es act 
Greasing I. — 
Bill (la Poste) poe dee 
Strasburgh Cathed. &c. T4005 
Grapes. ~ — 10, 


at Baden the Hotel d’angleterre, seems the best Hotel as to situation; 
Saturday a drive to the convent of Lichtenthal; service just concluding, 
nuns singing; formerly a large society, now reduced to 20—every thing 
clean and handsome—Parish Church of Baden (Roman Catholic) on the hill 
top, very clean and neat, but the steepness of the unpaved streets, fatiguing, 
on the high ground behind the Church, rises the hot springs, 13 of them 54 
Reaumer. 


Expenses | a wl 
posting 4l. — 
Convent, & Inn Music cots 
Cleaning carriage SaeeiG 
Bill (LaCour de Bade: Baden) 106. 18 
Dinner, Grapes, Bread. 25 eLIO. 


our road through the Hardt Forest, detained 10 minutes for horses at 
Carles—ruhe—(Charles—rest) Mr C went to the table d’hote, I walked in 
search of grapes &c. a clean handsome, dull, city; built like a Fan, the 
Palace (Ruhe) the centre of the fansticks— 


145 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 


Yi bit el eee eA AAI A IAAL iol ia lia id tid Til Piel Tel Ply Da AALALLALIALLALIALL APU hd lal bed ed Ua ala Al aly LADIADATIALLAL LALLA Tha Tak del bal any Chiat LaLa AA ALLA a Nw Phat i et Neon 


HEIDELBERG, Sept 23, (from Baden, 69 miles) 


the last post before entering Heidelberg very pretty, a range of low hills 
on the right, an open country on the left; no enclosures; the peasants gath- 
ering their harvest, from the walnut and apple trees which skirted the roads; 
entered Heidelberg by a brilliant moonlight, next morning before breakfast 
walked to the Schloss, by a path through the woods—afterwards a carriage 
followed some way the shore of the Neckar, ascended a steep hill, by Wolfs- 
gang entered at the back of the Castle, walked on the beautiful terrace; 
&c—by Darmstadt a clean healthy looking town; through a beautiful real 
forest to Frankfort, moonlight, the post boy played on his tasselled bugle. 

Frankfort, a fine Street, walked before breakfast to the fruitmarket— 
had my hair cut, waited till 2 for our passport. 


Expenses F. : 
posting Sarat. 
Basket, Grapes &c. Aas 
Nutcrackers EP 
Passport &c. 2..— 
Bill (L’Empereur) 26. 10. 


entered Mayence through vineyards, down a steep hill—glorious sunset! 
crossed the river by a long bridge of boats, 1666 feet. left at 7 in a thick fog, 
cleared before we arrived at Meder Ingleheim where we breakfasted, pos- 
tillion demurred about the horses being paid—no beauty in the road till St 
Goar, a lonely Inn on the Rhine opposite Rheinfells. Bacharach full of 
antiquity. St Merners chapel; Stolzenfels stands pretty before entering 
Coblentz. 

Our excellent Inn (Frierische Hoff) was in the Square, a capital supper, 
& Zelinger a moselle wine, made on the Masters own estate,—wax work 
before the Inn—c’est ici—Ehrenbreitstein opposite side of the River— 


Expenses Fs: 
posting (Mayence) 34. — 
Bill (Hotel de Hollande) Tae Tass 
Breakfast Sf age 
grapes (Bonn). Peas he 
posting (Coblentz) Olan 3: 
Bill (Frierische Hof) 16. — 
Greasing carriage Fa 
Breakfast (Bacheren). A. 10: 


146 


CONTINENTAL TOUR OF 1839 

dirty Inn at Cologne, walked to the Cathedral, in the Evening, before 
breakfast to the fruit market, at the side of the Cathe. an uninteresting drive 
not improved by a drizzling rain brought us at 5 o’clock to Aix, everything 
clean and good. Sunday attended Mass, fine boy’s voice! priests &c walked 
in procession round Charlesmagnes tomb, chaunting; nearly opposite the 
Cathe. a fine Church, and peculiarly smart dressed Virgin—as usual went 
to the fruit market on Monday, by which means saw the fine old building 
of the Hotel de Ville; in the Square of which the market is held—a row of 
little booth shops are built round the Cathe resting against its wall. 


Expenses Jem 
posting 80. II 
Cathedral (Cologne). pga ts, 
Bill = 25. — 
posting (Aix la Chapelle) 65. 13 
passport -&c. Pie 
Bill (les quatre Laisons) 56,0005 


Liece, Sept 30, (from Aix, 30 miles) 


Liege is a handsome town, we all three walked a great deal in it. Mr C. 
bought some books, before breakfast, & I some grapes in the grand square 
of the Hotel de Ville. 


Expenses Eo Ge 
posting 44m TE, 
Douamiers a. eT 
Bill 29. — 
Grapes — 10. 


the road to Brussels pretty enough, particularly the entrance by the 
wood of Soissy—Wednesday a drive round the town to the Chamber of 
Deputies &c. Saturday to the Botanical Gardens. Cathedral (priest dress- 
ing the Virgin) palace of the Prince of orange, & Hotel de Ville. 


Expenses teak 
posting OS 1G. 
passport, greasing &c. IIS en 
Carriages & sights 16. — 
Bill. 169. — 


147 


THE UNKNOWN TURNER 
a handsome, clean, sweet town (Brussels), full of antiquity, singing to 
salut, at the cathedral; girls in white “vowed to the Virgin.” Figure of St 
Michael & the Dragon, over the Screen; painted windows, marble floor, 
spoiled by the Soldiers of the revolution using the Church for a magazine— 
Tournay is the frontier town of Belgium, 2000 men stationed here. 


Expenses ; a 
posting (Tournay) 77, °— 
Cathedral pect 49 
Cheese & Bread I. —. 


it was dark before we entered St Omer—through Lille (cross bakeress) 
10 Dover, 11 Canterbury 12 Stoke Newington. 


Expenses Lee 8) 
posting (St Omer). 80. 10 
Bill 32. — 
posting (Calais) 34. — 
passport I. — 
Cakes I. — 
Bill 20a 15 
Charges on crossing 28. — 

Totals 


Distance 2413 miles 
Expenses 8433 francs. 





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ISBr “1aqoIIQ “IYSIAA Jo s[sp “Burpesg 
ONIMVUG NMOND  LSVI S wAaNYOL 





PLACES VISITED BY TURNER IN HIS 
CONTINENTAL TOUR OF 1839 


Boulogne (from Dover) 


Abbeville 
Montreuil 
Beauvais 
Paris 
Melun 

Sens 
Tonnerre 
Montbard 
Dijon 
Poligny 
Morez 

La Serque 
Nion 
Secheron 
Coppet 
Lausanne 
Vevay 
Bulle 
Fribourg 
Berne 
Thun 
Interlachen 
Unterseen 
Unspunnen 
Lauterbrunnen 
Meyringen 
Brientz 
Grindelwald 
Oberhoffen 
Spietz 
Thierhacken 
Wemyss 
Signau 
Entlebuch 


Lucerne 


Weggis 
Fluellen 
Altdorf 
Amsteg 
Hospenthal 
Langnau 
Erlenbach 
Gessenay 
Chatel 
Montalegre 
Geneva 

St. Martin 
Bonneville 
Maglau 
Servoz 
Montanvert 
Chamounix 
Thonon 
Gingough 
Sion 
Turtmagne 
Brieg 


_Domo d’Ossola 


Sesto Calande 
Baveno 
Isola Bella 
Isola Madre 
Buon Jesu 
Milan 
Como 
Lecco 
Varena 
Chiavenna 
Pianezzo 
Splugen 


149 


Andeer 
Reichman 
Coire 
Ragatz 
Wesen 
Uznach 
Rapperschwyl 
Einsedlin 
Zurich 
Schaffhausen 
St. Georges 
Hollenthal 
Tryberg 
Homberg 
Kehl 
Strasburg 
Baden 
Carlsruhe 
Heidelberg 
Darmstadt 
Frankfort 
Mayence 
Bonn 

Meder Ingleheim 
St. Goar 
Bacharach 
Bacheren 
Coblentz 
Cologne 
Aix-la-Chapelle 
Liége 
Brussels 
Tournay 
Lille 

St. Omer 
Calais 


DRAWINGS 


Au Cigne de la Croix 
Fountain at Poligny 
Houses on Lake Geneva 
Tonnerre 

Mill at Tonnerre 
Calvin’s Church, Geneva 
Lausanne 

Interlachen 

Nion 

Vevay 

Fribourg 

Stockhorn 

On Lake Thun (3) 

Thun (5) 

From the Gallery, Thun (2) 
Scherzlingen, near Thun 
Two women on road 
Boat on stream 

Man driving horse 
Grindelwald 


AND SKETCHES 


Kohnigen 

Kohnigen Valley 

Miss Strehll’s, Humbach 
Road scene, with bridge 
Winding road beside stream 
Lucerne (opposite les Balances) 
Climbing the Righi 

Lake Lucerne (2) 

From Amsteg 

Altdorf 

Altdorf (from bedroom) 
Langnau 

At Lausanne 

Lake and mountains 
Martigny 

Lake Como (3) 

Road to Chiavenna 

Lake scene: man fishing 
On the Splugen Road 


Opening of the Aar to the Lake of Campodalcino 
Thun Charabanc on Wallenstadt steamer 
On Lake Thun Ragatz 
Oberhoffen (2) From windows of Bellevue Hotel, 
Waterfall Liége 
MAPS 


Swisserland, comprehending thirteen cantons with their subjects and allies 


Lake of Geneva and its environs 


Bern, Friburg, and Neuchatel, with their environs 

Lakes of Lucerne, Zug, and Zurich, with their environs 

Map of the country twenty miles round St. Gothard, with the sources of 
the Rivers Rhone, Tesino, Rhine, Reuss, and Aar 

Map of Constance, Schafhausen and their environs 


150 


ENGRAVINGS, 


Pont Neuf, Paris 


Hotel de Secheron, Lake Geneva 
Suspension Bridge, Fribourg (2) 


Hotel des Merciers, Fribourg 


Hotel de Zahringen, Fribourg 


Griesbach Falls 
Swiss lake scenes (2) 
Oberhoffen 
Wengernalp 
Brandlisberg 

Swiss cottage 
Schadau 

Trou d’Uri 

Pont du Diable 
River and mountains 
London tavern at Chamonix 
St. Maurice 


LITHOGRAPHS, ETC. 


Grande Galerie, Simplon 

Interior of Gallery, Simplon 

Domaso, Lake Como 

Sesto Calende, Lake Maggiore 

L’Isola Bella, Lake Maggiore 

Villa Pliniana, Lake Como 

Villa Tanzi et Torno, Lake Como 

Statue of St. Charles Borromeo at 
Arona cr 

Lecco, Lake Como 

Gallery of Varenna, Lake Como 

Pianazzo Falls 

Village of Splugen 

Sources du Rhin, inferieur 

La Via Mala 

Hotel de l'Europe, Brussels 


151 





INDEX OF NAMES 


ee te 


Aitken, Charles, 88. 

Alken, Henry, 38, 47, 110, 120. 

Argyll, Duchess of, 47. 

Armstrong, Sir Walter, 1, 3, 9, 62, 66, 78, 
84, 86, 104, 109, 113, 115, 116. 


Bacon, Francis, Lord Verulam, 48, 87. 
Beauclerc, Topham, 48. 

Bell, Charles Francis, 1, 15, 62. 

Bolt; 1.,.107- 

Boringdon, Lord, 61. 

Boudin, Eugene Louis, 17. 

Brown, John Lewis, 17. 

Burnet, John, 16. 

Burns, Robert, 37, 48. 

Byron, Lord, 47. 


Cadman, Rev. Samuel Parkes, D.D., 71. 

Carr, J. Comyns, 16. 

Cassatt, Mary, 17. 

Cervantes Saavedra, Miguel de, 37, 48. 

Chaucer, Geoffrey, 94. 

Chesneau, Ernest, 13, 87, 100, 115. 

Chignell, Robert, 12, 71, 73, 81, 83, 87, 955 
Piioets. 119, 122. 

Cook, Dutton, 6. 

Cook, Sir Edward T., 1, 13, 56, 94. 

Cook, Sir Theodore Andrea, 1, 9, 78, 102, 

» 109. 

Corot, Camille Jean Baptiste, 15. 

Correggio, Antonio Allegri da, 37, 79, 110. 

Cowper, William, 37. 

Cox, David, 15, Ilo. 

Cruikshank, George, 110, I20. 

Cunningham, Peter, go. 


Dabo, Leon, 117. 

Dafforne, James, 10. 

Degas, Hilaire Germain Edgar, 17. 
Delany, Mary, 36. 

Dexter, John Furber, 104. 
Dickens, Charles, 37, 47, 119. 
Dillon, Edward, 74, 92, 104. 

Dou, Gerard, 37. 


Downman, Francis, go. 
Diirer, Albrecht, 62. 


Egremont, Lord, 57. 
Elton, Lady, 88 
Emsley, Walter, 14. 


Farington, Joseph, 96. 

Fawkes, Walter, 57, 66, 77. 

Fawkes, Mrs. Walter, 102. 

Fellows, Sir Charles, 58. 

Finberg, Alexander Joseph, 1, 14, 25, 39, 
45, 59, 61, 62, 64, 65, 70, 72, 78, 80, 
82, 83, 85, 89, 92, 95, 97, 99, IOI, 104, 
106, 108, 115, 116, 117. 

Folger, Henry Clay, 36, 95. 

Fraser, Sir William Augustus, 95. 


Gainsborough, Thomas, 37, 79. 
Gilbert, Josiah, 8. 

Gill, Frances Tyrrell, 1, 90. 
Gilpin, Sawrey, 62. 

Girtin, Thomas, 37, 79. 

Gray, Thomas, 48. 


Hamerton, Philip Gilbert, 1, 7, 65, 67, 75, 
79, 83, 102, 105, 108, 114, 117. 

Harding, James Duffield, 63, 98. 

Hart, Charles Henry, 75, 82. 

Hazlitt, William, 86. 

Henderson, John, 58, 85. 

Hind, C. Lewis, 1, 7, 60, 64, 68, 74, 81, 83, 
89, 945 99, 100, 108, ITS, 117. 

Hodgson, John Evan, R.A., 3, 6, 68, 88. 

Holmes, Sir Charles John, 1, 8, 76. 

Holroyd, Sir Charles, 63, 73, 112. 

Huish, Marcus B., 38, 71. 

Hunt, William Henry, 91. 


Ibbotson, Julius Cesar, 108. 
Jones, George, 48 


Kelly, Thomas Hughes, 90. 


INDEX OF NAMES 


Wat NUPNAPRIPNAPNAPAISAIMNAMRISOLSALSUINAL SUH NUA NUS NU AUENUFAYENSFNAPNGMNIBRAMRIMRINAINNIMA/ SAA VE/ NEF Ya MUP Sul uF AUPLUPNUPAGFAIANSANIANSTASSOI NOS MA ad Naf Val Nal Vu Wu NUP NUP YPN SANVENS AA OMAsMasPastasth 


Kingsley, W., 55. - Ruskin, John, 1, 8, 21, 55, 61, 66, 67, 69, 
Knight, Professor William, 11, 87, 115. 71, 74,75, 795 84, 87, O1, 94; 90, 100, 
109, LT2, 115,116, 
Landseer, Charles, 58, 59, 85, 99. Ruskin, John James, 106, 115, 116, 117. 
Landseer, John, 58, 59, 85, 99, 107, 108. ; 
Lawson, Sir Wilfrid, 58, 65. Scott, Sir Walter, 12, 47. 
Leicester, Sir John Fleming, 59. Scott, William Bell, 15, 103. 
Leicester, Lady Maria, 58, 59, 85. Shakespeare, William, 5, 11, 14, 37, 86, 87, 
Lindsay, Sir Coutts, 17. p24 Dba TOs S55) 1S Ea 
Locke, John, 48, tor. Simcoe Family, 57, 77, 102. 
Lockhart, John Gibson, 12. Sisley, Alfred, 17. 
Lorraine, Claude, 79, 119. Sizeranne, Robert de la, 9. 
Smirke, Robert, 96. 
Macready, William Charles, gs. Southey, Robert, 48. 
MacCulloch, John, 113. Sparrow, Walter Shaw, Io, 97. 
Manson, James Bolivar, 58. Spicer, Harry Gage, 51, 83. 
Milton, John, 47, 48. Stables, Dr. Gordon, 64. 


Stanfield, Clarkson, 110. 
Swinburne, Charles Alfred, 1, 5, 57, 60, 
104, 106, 107. 


Monet, Claude, 7, 17. 

Monet, Madame Morisot, 17. 
Monkhouse, W. Cosmo, 1, 7, 63, 85, 103. 
Montez, Lola (Eliza Gilbert), 47. 


ae poe 
Moore, Thomas, 67. Teniers, David, the younger, 37, 79 


Tennyson, Lord Alfred, 37, 87, 115. 
Thackeray, William Makepeace, 15. 
Thornbury, Walter, 1, 43, 7o. 
Townend, Harry, 12, 98. 

Trimmer, Rev. Mr., 57. 

Trimmer, Mrs., 102. 

Turner, Mary Ann, 3, 87. 

Turner, William, 3. 


Nelson, Lord, 48. 


Ollier, Edmund, 13. 
Oppe wAtP.5 15,40, 410) 


Pennell, Joseph, 37, 93, 98. 
Phythian, John Ernest, 14, 57, 71. 


Pilkington, Sir H., 61. Van Dyck, Anthony, 37. 
Pissaro, Camille, 17. Van Dyke, John Charles, 93. 
Potter, Paul, 37. Van Ostade, Adraen, 37, 79. 
Poussin, Nicolas, 37. Van de Velde, Willem, 37. 
Raffaelle, Sanzio, 37, 79, 110. Waagen, Dr. Gustave Friedrich, 57. 
Rawlinson, William G., 10, 58, 59, 75, 76, Washington, George, 48. 

80, 92, 95, 98, 108, 114, II9. Washington, Martha, 48. 
Redding, Cyrus, 61. Wedmore, Sir Frederick, 1, 15, 115. 
Redgrave, Richard, 11, 108. Wellington, Duke of, 47. 
Rembrandt, Harmensz van Rijn, 37, 62. Wells, William Frederick, 57. 
Reni, Guido, 37. Wells, Mrs., 102. 
Renoir, Pierre Auguste, 17. Wheeler, Clara, 69, 102, 113. 
Reynolds, Sir Joshua, 4, 43, 84, 106. Wherry, Albina, 91. 
Roberts, David, 67, 7o. Whistler, James Abbott McNeill, 7. 
Roberts, William, 16. Whitaker, Charles Harris, 85. 
Robinson, Mary (“Perdita’”’), 84. White, William, 66. 
Rogers, Samuel, 37. Wilson, Richard, 37, 79. 
Rosenbach Company, The, 85. Winsor and Newton, 105. 
Rossetti, William Michael, 12. Wroot, Herbert E., 105. 


Rowlandson, Thomas, 38, 47, 110, 120. Wyllie, William Lionel, R.A., 1, 11, 111. 








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